


Private Dancer

by Xenobia



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bondage, Drug Addiction, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Het, Implied Mpreg, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Male Lactation, Miscarriage, Mpreg, Multi, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Occult, Omegaverse, Oral Sex, Pegging, Strippers & Strip Clubs, Threesome - F/M/M, Vampires, Violence, Yaoi, Yuri, eruri - Freeform, mafia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2018-07-29 20:44:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 41
Words: 338,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7698784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xenobia/pseuds/Xenobia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erwin Smith is an alpha and the boss of a major organized crime family in Trost. When approached by an underling with the suggestion that he invest in an exotic dancer club exclusively featuring omega strippers, he hesitates at first. Upon realizing that one particular, gorgeous male omega he had his eye on happens to work at that club, he quickly makes a business choice that will change his life forever. The question is whether or not he can survive his investment and win over Levi Ackerman. Eruri AU Omegaverse, multiple side pairings, yaoi, het and yuri content.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please read the tags. Be advised that this is an AU with some uncommonly blended elements.

_A Levi x Erwin omegaverse fanfiction_

*Disclaimer: This fanfiction is for entertainment, non-profit purposes only. I do not claim ownership of any canon characters or the world that this is set in.

* * *

In a penthouse suite overlooking a sprawling metropolis, the tall, powerfully built mafia boss sat at a heavy dark wood table with his captains for an evening meeting. They did this every week to report in profits, new acquisitions and any opposition they faced in protection racketeering. Erwin Smith relied mostly on racketeering, stock markets and the black market to fund his syndicate and line his pockets. Mike Zacharius was his underboss and right hand man. Then there was Dita Ness, Hange Zoë, Oluo Bozado and Nanaba—all captains. The rest of the syndicate was comprised of soldiers and associates.

"Well, let's begin." Erwin took his seat at the head of the table, and he used the remote to close the vertical blinds hanging from the floor to ceiling windows. He increased the lighting in the meeting room, and then he set the remote down. "Mike, how are the profits looking?"

"Down some from last week," answered the quiet-spoken man; the only one in the 'family' that was taller than Erwin. Both alphas and distant cousins, The two blonds had taken over the business after Erwin's father got gunned down in a dispute with a cartel in the middle of a deal. "We need more rackets, chief."

"I think I've got a solution for that," Hange offered.

Erwin looked at the brunet woman, who was dressed today in a three-piece tanned business suit. Hange usually preferred casual wear with a messy ponytail, but when she was representing their business, she tended to dress up and either wear her hair down and brushed, or pinned up in a tidier twist or ponytail. "Go on, Hange. What have you got for us?"

She opened up the slim briefcase she'd set on the table before her, and she collected a couple of files out of it. She slid them across the table to him, along with some photos. "A local strip club. They've been having problems with the owner of the place. He's been harassing the staff, pocketing their tips, letting rowdy fellows into the club and pushing for his dancers to provide 'additional services' that aren't on the employee contract. Some of them do, of course, but it's completely optional for extra pay, not mandatory. As you can see by the employee contract agreement, no staff member is obligated to perform sexual favors for clients."

Erwin frowned, taking the paperwork and arranging it neatly on the desk. "And you see this as a potential business investment?"

Hange smiled and spread her hands. "Exotic dancers pull in a lot of green, and this place is unique from other such clubs. It has the potential to make more money on its own than any of our current rackets. You'd just have to buy it from the owner and assign someone trustworthy to run the place the way you want it."

Erwin wasn't particularly enthused about the idea. He enjoyed visiting a good gentlemen's club as much as the next man, but it was so typical for a mafia syndicate to invest in strip clubs. Hange did have a point though, so he began to look through the information she'd given him.

"I'm completely on board with having our own strip club, for the record," Oluo stated.

"What makes this one so unique?" Dita asked, absently combing his thinning brown hair.

"The dancers are exclusively omegas," Hange said smugly. "Is that unique enough for you?"

Dita stilled his combing. "Holy shit. Boss, that's a goldmine! We can't afford _not_ to have a piece of that pie."

"Are any of their omegas women, perhaps?" Oluo said with interest. He caught Nanaba's cold stare. "Hey, don't eyeball me like that, precious. A man has needs, and everyone knows omegas are cream of the crop when it comes to satisfying those. You can go at them all night long and they can never get enough of it."

"Not with your beta dick, you can't," Nanaba pointed out ruthlessly. "Hell, they might not even _feel_ it."

"My dick isn't small," Oluo growled. He stood up and started to fumble with his pants. "Do you want a demonstration right now?"

"Enough," Erwin said sternly. "This is a business meeting, not a pissing contest between associates. Oluo, sit back down. Nanaba, stop goading him."

Oluo obeyed, and the two of them immediately lapsed into silence.

"So what do you think?" Mike asked in a low voice, leaning over to have a peek at the documents Erwin was looking over.

"I know this place," stated the boss.

He'd been to it before. It was called: "The Omega Experience." The venue had a rather tasteful private performance option for those with the money to request it. He'd taken advantage of one of those private dancer booths himself before, upon seeing one particular male omega up on the main stage do things on the dance pole that a professional gymnast would be hard-pressed to achieve. He'd done it twice more since then, treating himself to the luxury to unwind after business.

"Levi," murmured Erwin to himself. That was the name of the dancer he recalled. He wasn't sure if it was a stage name or his given name. Some dancers used stage names, and some didn't.

"Sir?" Dita asked, having heard him utter the name.

Erwin looked through the photos. "They have a total of nine dancers, along with two bartenders, five weight staff and two bouncers," he explained. "Seven of the dancers are female. The other two are male. This club is open to all clients. It doesn't cater to only men. From what I understand, they pull in a lot of business from alphas."

"Oh, you've done your homework!" Hange grinned. "I didn't even put that last bit of information in the files. So what do you think? It would be a shame if such an uncommon venue went out of business because the current owner is tanking the management of it, don't you agree?"

Erwin paused when he came across a photo of Levi, leaning back against the dancing pole in a sensual pose, one hand reaching up to curl around the pole above his head, and the other covering his groin. "Yes, it would be a shame," agreed Erwin softly.

"So are we going to go for it?" asked Dita.

Erwin took a slow breath. It wasn't his first choice of rackets, but in this case, he felt it was too good an investment not to make an exception. "Yes. We'll complete the meeting, and then make arrangements to meet up with the owner and talk business."

"Hah! Called it!" Hange snapped her fingers with satisfaction.

* * *

As he stepped into the exotic dance club, Erwin distinctly recalled the day he'd first laid eyes on Levi. He and Mike were on the road looking for a place to unwind after a rather stressful mishap with one of their associates—a mishap that ended in the two blond alphas calling in a cleanup crew to dispose of evidence. Mike was the one that suggested they stop at The Omega Experience, because he'd heard a few things about the place and he was curious. At the time, Erwin had just wanted a drink and a distraction from his thoughts.

They'd entered the club, and there on the center dance stage was this stunning young man gyrating sensually against a pole. The song playing was some slow, melodic gothic tune that seemed to fit the dancer perfectly. His hair was fashioned in an undercut, with the top parted a little to the right to leave dark fringe hanging down. His hair was so black that there were blue-ish highlights in it beneath the lights. He was small in build, but his body was that of a gymnast's, and so toned that Erwin imagined the needle might bend and break when he got vaccinations. He had an ass you could bounce quarters off of, and as Erwin stared, that ass flexed smoothly with the omega dancer's motions.

He remembered hearing Mike say something to him and it flying completely over his head, because the raven-haired dancer slipped out of his thong at that same moment, leaving him completely nude on the stage. That was when Erwin decided he would stay for more than one drink, and when he found out that they had private dancing booths for those with the money to afford the experience, he was quick to request Levi. He'd actually ended up jacking off to Levi's dance, the last time. He suspected he wasn't the only client to indulge in such a thing, either.

Erwin sighed, and he looked around for the dancer that so easily made him lose his composure. He didn't seem to be around. Currently on the center stage was a blonde girl with wavy, shoulder-length hair, long lashes and a somewhat catty little smirk on her face. On the smaller stage to the left was another omega female that Erwin recalled seeing before, wearing her dark hair in pigtails and dancing around in a schoolgirl outfit. She was a cute little thing, but she didn't have the grace of some of the other dancers Erwin had witnessed in here. She moved a little jerkily, her fingers fumbling with her clothes like she was in too much of a hurry to get them off and finish her routine.

_~Perhaps she doesn't really want to be up there on that stage.~_

The possibility seemed very reasonable to Erwin. Some exotic dancers did it strictly for the money, hoping to get out of the career as soon as something more ideal for them came along. He knew one young woman that danced in another club to pay her way through college. Maybe the girl in pigtails had a similar story. If this business arrangement went as Erwin hoped, he would be finding out soon enough. He intended to get to know each and every employee in this place, and he would decide whether to make staff changes or not based on how they conducted themselves and did their jobs.

Walking up to the bar, Erwin had to squeeze past a few people to reach his destination. A busy waitress, so petite that Erwin almost didn't see her, skirted aside quickly to avoid getting bumped into by him.

"Oh! I didn't spill anything on you, did I sir?" The girl had pale blond hair, big expressive blue eyes and a lovely little heart-shaped face. She was dressed in a pink sequined, spaghetti-strap top and a pair of snug white pants.

Erwin smiled at her. "No, you're fine. You're very light on your feet. It would have been my fault if you had. I should have been watching where I'm going."

She smiled back at him with open relief. "Well, you may not find a seat right away, but I can come back to you and take your order if you'd like a drink."

"I can see that you're busy," he offered solicitously, speaking over the volume of the dance music. "I can order something from the bar, thank you."

He would have asked her to fetch the owner for him so that he could talk business, but he thought that might scare her into thinking she was in trouble, and she had a rather large tray of drinks to hand out to patrons seated at the booths lining the walls. The waitress excused herself, hasty but polite, and she went off to take care of her present customers. Erwin managed to squeeze his tall, built form further through the crowd and to the bar, turning sideways so that he could fit between two guys seated there and get one of the bartenders' attention. Both of them had dark, shaggy blond hair. The taller one had his in an undercut, worn long on the top. He was the one that noticed Erwin gesturing first, and he walked over to the edge of the bar and dropped his dishtowel over one shoulder.

"Hey, what can I get for you?" called the young man. He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully with recognition. "Mr. Smith, right? You were in here last week."

"You have a good memory." Erwin nodded. "Jean, isn't it?"

"Yes sir. So, are you here for another private dance? I think Levi's available, if you want me to book you in with him again."

Erwin felt a little thrill go through him at the mention of that dancer's name. So, he was working tonight. Unfortunately, he was there for business rather than pleasure. Perhaps later, after he concluded what he hoped would be a smooth deal. "I'll take a rain check on that. What you can do for me is bring me a scotch and tell me if the club owner is here."

"Sure thing on the scotch," answered Jean. He shrugged. "I don't know if Kenny's still here, but I can get the manager for you. Levi takes care of everything when Kenny's not around."

Erwin's brow went up. So that riveting, black-haired fellow was also the club manager, as well as a dancer. He made a mental note of that. "Yes, that would be fine."

It seemed he would get to see his intriguing dancer, after all. The notion didn't displease Erwin. There was only one problem so far: Hange wasn't there yet. She was supposed to meet up with him for this proposal, just in case anything got hairy. Mike was heading out of town to take care of some business the next town over. Nanaba was with him, and Oluo was out collecting. Dita was busy with some of the newer soldiers, so that left only Hange available. Erwin thought that was fitting, since she was the one that approached him with the idea to invest in this place.

Erwin was just about to pull out his cell phone and try to reach her when the alpha female came in through the main entry doors. She spotted him quickly, and she made her way over to the bar where he was.

"Sorry I'm late! I had to rough up a client a little. He was trying to get away with shorting me on his purchase."

Erwin cleared his throat and looked around pointedly, silently reminding Hange not to mention "roughing up" a client in front of other people.

"Ah, right. Sorry." Hange shrugged, and when Jean brought Erwin's drink to him, Hange tapped the bar to get his attention. "Hey, I'll take a Mudslide with an extra shot, kid."

"Just don't get wasted," Erwin advised, taking a sip from his drink.

"I got one of the wait staff's attention for you, and he's going to check the office now," Jean informed Erwin as he started mixing Hange's cocktail. "If the boss isn't here, Levi will take care of whatever the problem is."

Erwin considered informing the bartender that there was no problem, but he didn't want to discuss his business with anyone save the owner or the manager. If things went as planned, Jean and every other employee in this place would know what this meeting was all about, in time.

"Hange, keep yourself available and make sure your phone is on vibrate," Erwin instructed his captain. "The music's probably too loud in this place for you to hear the phone if I need you."

"You don't want me to go into the office with you?" Hange frowned a bit, and she leaned closer to Erwin to speak into his ear. "Remember, this guy's been doing some shady shit with his own staff. He could be involved with a rival family. I thought that was the whole reason you wanted me to come; in case he gives you any trouble."

"It looks like I may not be meeting up with the owner at all. At least not right away. It depends on whether he's here or not."

"And if he isn't? What are we going to do, come back another time? Hmm, maybe we should have contacted this guy over the phone, first."

"I would rather have the element of surprise," explained Erwin. "And I have considered the possibility that one of our rival syndicates could be involved with this person. That's why I chose not to contact him over the phone to set up this meeting; I would rather not chance someone in our 'business' finding out that we're interested before we determine whether we're moving in on someone else's territory."

"Oh, good plan," she admitted. "All right, then. I'll sit out here and enjoy the scenery while you try to make your proposal."

Hange thanked Jean and she tipped him generously when he gave her the cocktail. The lights on the main stage dimmed, and the dancer that had been performing picked up her costume bits and exited. The other bartender made an announcement over the speaker system.

"Now get ready for Jaegerbomb! Let's hear it for him!"

Erwin looked up as one of the male omega dancers came out onto the stage wearing gold pants, a matching gold vest and a pair of white shoes. The outfit had a metallic sheen, and it was actually quite flattering on him. Erwin remembered seeing him before, too. He had thick, rich brown hair, brilliant green eyes and a tan complexion. He was a good-looking fellow with a winsome smile that patrons seemed to just melt over.

" _'Jaegerbomb'_?" repeated Hange with a laugh. "How cute! I didn't see this guy when I first checked this place out."

"He's one of the top three dancers, as I understand it," Erwin explained. "He was working the crowd pretty well, the last time I came here."

Indeed, people were already clamoring to stuff bills down the dancer's pants, and he'd only just begun dancing to the techno song that played for him. He bent over to take one patron's money right out of his hand with his teeth, winking at the guy before gyrating before him. Jaegerbomb went to his knees with his thighs spread, running his hands over his body and eliciting a hoot from one of the women watching from a stage seat.

"Okay, this looks like fun," Hange called out. She dug out her wallet and fished out some bills. "He's not my usual drink of water, but he's so cute I've _got_ to give him something. Say Erwin, should I hold off and put it between his butt cheeks when he takes those blinding pants off? Shit, it's like looking right at the sun..."

"Go with your instincts," suggested Erwin with a chuckle. "But try not to spend it all in one place. There are a lot of other dancers to enjoy here."

"Good advice. You know me all too well."

Erwin nodded in agreement, smirking at the impulsive brunette woman. Hange was always enjoyable company to have around, simply because she could find ways to have fun in any given situation. She could be a loose cannon at times, but overall, she was dependable both as an advisor and in a fight. Erwin looked out over the club towards the bathrooms, and he felt another little thrill go through him when he caught sight of a certain small omega with fair skin and hair as black as midnight. He was coming out of the hallway that led to the public restrooms and the back office. Dressed in black lycro pants and a gauzy, long-sleeved black shirt, the dancer cut a sensual picture. A very tall, lanky young man with dark brown hair was at Levi's side, practically towering over the dancer as he pointed directly across the way at Erwin. The mafia boss recognized the tall guy as one of the security bouncers.

"Here comes the manager," Erwin informed his captain as Levi began to cross the distance, slipping through the crowd with the same incredible grace he employed on the stage. He moved with an easy, predatory dexterity, barely brushing against people as he moved in between them. One guy that Erwin picked out as an alpha caught hold of Levi's arm in passing, and he leaned down to say something in the dancer's ear. Levi shook his head, gave the man an icy look and said something in response. The alpha male immediately released him and took a step back, looking partly offended and partly shocked.

Erwin's mouth curved up a little at one corner. So, Levi was no pushover. He could well imagine what sort of proposition he'd just received from that patron. Evidently, he didn't find it to his liking. That suggested that Levi wasn't counted amongst the omega performers that did sexual favors for clientele. Of course, it was equally possible that the man had just said something crude enough to piss the dancer off, whether he did sexual favors or not.

Erwin intended to find out everything there was to know about this guy, especially if this business deal went through and he took over primary ownership of the club.

* * *

Levi examined the tall blond alpha as he approached, taking in little details about him. He was dressed sharply in a button-up white collared shirt, black pants and expensive-looking oxfords. He wore a bolo tie set with a black stone around his neck. Levi couldn't see exactly how toned he was through his clothing, but he could tell by the way his body was outlined in them that he was in good shape. He was built well, with broad shoulders, narrow hips, muscular arms and powerful thighs. His hair was styled in an undercut and immaculately groomed, lighter on top where it was longer than on the shaved part of the undercut. He was lightly tanned, and he had big hands. That was all he could observe from a distance.

Once he got up close enough to the man, Levi realized that the blue of his eyes wasn't just a reflection from one of the colored stage lights. He could see now that the alpha's eyes were just naturally that blue, like sapphires. They were intense, too. The blond was staring straight at him, and now Levi could make out fine details about his visage. Thick yet groomed brows, blond-tipped eyelashes, an aristocratic, sharp nose, a wide, generous mouth and a strong, squared jaw.

In short, this guy was handsome as all fuck.

Still having no idea what this was all about, Levi kept his guard up. He got regular requests for special services, and Kenny was still on his ass trying to get him to change his mind and pull in some extra money. Even with a guy that looked like _that_ , Levi wasn't going to sell himself that way. He prepared himself to turn down yet another proposition, though Bertolt hadn't said he was there specifically to see Levi. Maybe the guy wanted to speak to the owner or manager to set up an escort or a private dance. Maybe he _did_ want to purchase sexual favors.

The way the man was looking at him right now made Levi get the distinct feeling that he wasn't after one of the other dancers, if he really was there to request additional services. He stopped before the alpha, craning his neck a little to look up at him. Damn, he was tall. Not as tall as Bertolt, but he still towered. Of course, Levi was exceptionally short even for an omega, so towering over him wasn't very difficult.

"Smith?" Levi called over the music.

"Yes." The blond offered his hand for Levi to shake. "So you're the manager."

"Levi," answered the omega. "What's the problem? The owner's not here, so whatever your complaint is, I'll see if I can handle it for you."

"Not a complaint," corrected Erwin. "A business proposal, one that I think your boss would be interested in hearing."

Levi's mouth thinned briefly, the only change of expression on his pale face. He could tell the guy to fuck off, but if he didn't at least hear what he was trying to get and what he was prepared to offer for it, he'd be up shit creek with his uncle. Levi jerked his chin toward the back corridor leading to the bathrooms and the office.

"Let's talk where it's more quiet. Follow me."

"With pleasure."

Something about those arresting blue eyes made a shiver go through Levi, and not an unpleasant one. He recognized it as excitement, and that confused him. He'd seen plenty of pretty faces in his time, and he'd had plenty of people of both genders and all three types stare at him. Smith was doing it in a way he wasn't used to, though. It was almost like the guy recognized some hidden part of him, like he knew things about him...like he was gazing straight into his soul. Levi told himself it was creepy, but instead of reacting the way he should, he was getting caught up in this strange thrill that he couldn't explain.

"So, it's this way," Levi finally said, realizing he was just staring right back at the man. He turned to escape those mesmerizing blue eyes, and he asked himself just what the fuck was the matter with him as he guided his guest to the office.

* * *

_~He doesn't recognize me.~_

The realization almost bothered Erwin, but then he remembered that the last two times he'd been in this place, he hadn't come up close to the main stage while Levi was dancing on it, and he'd been in a private booth otherwise. The glass in the private observation booths were mirrored on the side of the dancing room, so whomever was performing couldn't see the client they were dancing for. Levi had literally never seen him before, so it made little sense for Erwin to be disappointed.

They stepped into the office together, and Erwin found it larger and more elegant than he'd expected. There was a big, oaken desk centered near the back wall, a smaller desk of the same wood in the corner by the door, a mini fridge and a liquor cabinet. There were laptop computers on both desks. Levi took a seat at the smaller desk, and he swiveled the chair around to face Erwin. He produced a pack of cigarettes from the drawer and an ashtray, and he lit up before gesturing at the couch against the left wall.

"Why don't you have a seat and tell me what this is all about?" Suggested the dancer.

"First, I should introduce myself properly. I am Erwin Smith, and I'm in a lucrative business practice."

Levi blinked slowly. "Lucrative business practice, huh? Is that what the mafia calls it?"

Erwin gazed at him calmly. "So you've heard of me."

Levi nodded. Yeah, I've heard of you." He blew a trail of smoke up into the air, away from Erwin's direction. "You're a high roller in the families around these parts, aren't you? They mention you in the papers and on the news sometimes."

"Then you know that I'm not a man to procrastinate with," reasoned Erwin calmly. "Let's get down to business, shall we?"

Levi shrugged. "That's what we're here for. So what are you after? A blow job? A screw? A private dance? An escort to some fancy mob gathering?"

"Actually, I'm here for the club."

Levi's fine, dark brows pinched a bit over his intense gray eyes. "What does that mean? You want to buy it out?"

"Exactly." Erwin nodded. "When do you expect your boss to be back, so that I can discuss this with him in person?"

"I think he went out to get dinner, so pretty soon." Levi tilted his head to the side, and he took another drag from his cigarette. Erwin was distracted by the sight of those pouty lips encircling the filter, and then blowing the cloud of smoke out after inhaling. He had a cute little mouth to go with that cute little nose. "I'd better warn you, dealing with Kenny's not going to be a walk in the park. He's a sly, conniving bastard and if you're serious about buying this place, he'll find a way to keep getting a cut even if he's not the full owner anymore. Better get prepared for a runaround."

"My intention is to leave him on as the owner in name only," explained Erwin. "I haven't the time to run the club myself, nor do any of my people. Kenny obviously knows how to operate this venue, so he'll get a cut of the profits as his pay each week. He'll be in charge of reporting those gross profits and business expenses to us at the end of each week, and we'll have someone come and collect the money once we determine how much is our cut."

"Hmm. Interesting." Levi leaned forward in his chair a bit. "So what are you planning to do to put him in line? You should know he's been garnishing the staff's tips and I don't know what he's been doing with half the club's profits behind my back."

"I'd heard rumors of that," Erwin revealed, trying not to let the omega's looks and mannerisms distract him overly. He kept picturing Levi dancing so seductively, for his viewing pleasure alone. Perhaps a private dance when his business was concluded wouldn't be a bad idea, whether to celebrate his success or as a condolence prize for failure to make a deal. Maybe he could even get a blowjob from those alluring lips.

"Then you know if he keeps going like he's been going, you're not gonna be getting your full share each week," reasoned Levi. "So what's your plan about that?"

Erwin smirked, but his gaze went flat and cold. "I have people to deal with business associates that won't pay up, Levi. I think Kenny will find it's better for his well-being to straighten his act and pay us our full cut."

A barely noticeable shiver went through the dancer's body. Was it intimidation, or was it due to excitement? Erwin was respected and feared by many. He saw no sign in Levi's eyes or expression of apprehension, though. In fact, the dancer held his gaze unwaveringly; a thing which most people had difficulty with, when the mafia boss put on this chill mask.

"So what are you gonna do?" questioned the dancer. "Bust his kneecaps? Break a few ribs? I wouldn't advise hitting him upside the head—it's too thick to do much damage to him."

Erwin smiled before he could help himself. "You don't hold back with your thoughts or words, do you? I could almost get the impression that you're eager to see your boss roughed up a bit."

"Tch. He could use a little roughing up, and there's no love lost between us even if he _is_ my uncle."

Erwin's brows rose. "Oh? I had no idea."

Levi shrugged and had another drag. "I guess there's some small family resemblance in the eyes. You'll see that when you meet him. Other than that, he's nothing like me. Tall, lanky, keeps a stupid looking goatee, has a really obnoxious laugh and he uses a lot of shitty slang talk."

"So you aren't much for the slang," mused Erwin. "You speak well, so I presume you weren't raised by your uncle."

"Only for the end of my teen years after my mother passed." Levi shrugged. "So you think you can get him to straighten up his act? As straightened as a crook like him can get, anyway."

"I have ways," answered the alpha mysteriously.

"And what happens to my dancers and the rest of the staff if you make this deal?" Levi crossed one leg over the other and he relaxed in his chair, resting his arms on the armrests. "Are you planning to let everyone go and bring in your own staff? You'll have a hard time finding enough omegas in this line of work to replace us, you know. It's not like our type is falling off trees."

"I have no intention of replacing anyone on the staff, so long as they do their jobs to satisfaction. You would keep your position. Virtually nothing will change for you or the rest of the staff, save your tips being garnished. I intend to put a stop to that quickly, once I am the owner of this place."

Levi nodded thoughtfully, and then his steely gaze sharpened and seemed to flash briefly. "How about their employee rights? Do you have plans to try and force them to do sexual favors if they don't want to?"

"This is a strip club, not a brothel." Erwin decided to follow Levi's example, and he pulled out a cigar. He leaned forward with mumbled thanks when the smaller man offered him a light. "If some of the dancers want to take on special duties of their own accord to make some extra money, they're welcome to—so long as I get a reasonable cut of the profits."

"Kenny takes half." Levi frowned at that.

"I would take a fourth," Erwin assured him. "The person performing the service should get most of the profit for their favors. I'm not a pimp."

Levi huffed a little—a sound that might have been his version of a laugh. "Heh. Sometimes there's not much of a difference. As long as you treat them right, I'm fine with that."

"So what is your role here, exactly?" asked the blond curiously.

"I'm in charge of the dancers and their wages," answered Levi. His expression froze into one of subtle warning. "In addition to training them and managing their schedules, I'm also their protector."

Erwin didn't doubt that for a minute. "And what extra services do _you_ provide for clients, if I may ask?"

Levi shrugged. "Private dancing. Sometimes I'll do escort jobs if the pay is good enough and the client passes my screening test. Escorting can be a dangerous line of work, and I don't take on sleezeballs as clients. I screen everyone that requests an escort, in fact. I don't want any of my dancers ending up in a ditch somewhere for trying to make some extra cash on the side. There are ground rules the client has to agree to, as well. If their escort decides they want to have sex with them, that's fine, but fucking isn't part of the services and they have to sign a terms and services agreement to respect their escort's boundaries."

"I see." Erwin felt some relief to hear that Levi didn't offer up his body sexually for clients. "What percentage of the escort profits does Kenny typically take?"

"Half, just like with sexual favors, lap dances and private dances. The bonus for the dancer used to be that they got to keep all their tips, but that's gone to shit now."

"If I can make this business deal work, then that won't be an issue any longer," promised Erwin. "How does that make you feel?"

"Skeptical," answered Levi blankly. "I've heard a lot of promises in my life and most of them never get fulfilled, so you'll have to forgive me for my lack of enthusiasm."

"Understood." Erwin checked his watch. "Is there any way you could contact your uncle and find out what his ETA might be?"

"Got somewhere else to be?" guessed Levi. He took the phone on the desk off its cradle and he started dialing.

"Nowhere specific, but I prefer to get my business arrangements finished promptly and tightly."

Levi nodded, and he waited for the other line to pick up. "Oi, shithead, there's a guy here that wants to make a business proposal to you. I think it'd be a good idea if you get your ass back to the club and hear him out. He doesn't strike me as a person that has a lot of time on his hands, and I don't think he'll accept a rain check for what he wants to discuss with you."

Levi looked Erwin up and down. "Tall, blond, good-looking. Sharp dresser. He's an alpha. Uh-huh. Well, I'll let _him_ tell you that. Just trust me, you don't want to leave this guy waiting. Yeah? Got it. See you then."

Levi hung up the phone, and he put out his cigarette. He got up out of his chair, and to Erwin's surprise, he started swaying gracefully to the muffled background music from the main room of the club.

"Boss says he should be back in about fifteen," informed the dancer. Levi boldly reached out, plucked the cigar out of Erwin's mouth and put it out in the ashtray. Before the alpha could ask him what the hell he was doing, Levi pulled apart the front of his black shirt. Velcro peeled away with a ripping sound, and suddenly the top half of Levi's chest was enticingly exposed. "He said to give you a lap dance to pass the time while you wait. I don't want to get burned by that thing you were smoking."

Erwin's mouth parted, and his heart picked up a beat. He hadn't been expecting full-on contact with the attractive omega. He watched, frozen in his seat, as Levi turned around and bent over, running his hands down his spread legs to display his backside to Erwin's view. He slipped his boots off, and even that simple gesture seemed highly seductive. He looked over his shoulder at the blond as he straightened back up slowly, his hips rocking sensually.

"Want a drink?"

Erwin completely forgot that he'd left his drink at the bar, but right now he was thirsty for something else. "No, thank you."

Levi spun gracefully back around to face him again, and he teasingly slid his left hand partly down his pants, while running the fingers of his right hand through his raven hair. "Oi, are you even into guys, or should I get one of the girls to come give you this lap dance?"

"I'm into both," confessed the alpha, his eyes roving over Levi with appreciation. "There's no need to send for one of the girls. I'm fine with this."

He was _more_ than fine with it. He watched the silver cross dangling from Levi's left ear flash in the light. The dancer had a black hoop in each lobe, along with the cross on the left and a silver stud on the right. Erwin wasn't usually big on ear jewelry, but they fit Levi so well. As the omega's shirt fluttered to the floor, Erwin kept his expression neutral. He could do nothing to disguise the admiration in his blue gaze as he enjoyed this unexpected little free show. Those mysterious, pale gray eyes stayed on Erwin as the dancer gyrated and shifted on his feet, keeping time with the beat of the music.

"This isn't my favorite genre to dance to," said Levi conversationally. "Eren, Brenda and Mina love this upbeat shit, but I prefer something a bit darker and slower."

"It suits you," murmured Erwin thoughtlessly.

Levi tilted his head slightly, not slowing or stopping his erotic dancing. He ran his hands over his toned torso in a slow, cajoling way. "You've seen me dance? I don't recall ever seeing you in here before tonight."

Erwin nodded. "I've seen you dance before. I wasn't close to the stage." He left it at that, feeling no need to inform Levi of the private dances he'd enjoyed from him. This was much better than sitting in a booth, watching him from behind separating glass.

"Hmph. You must have been slinking back in the shadows or something. I'd have remembered you if I'd seen you."

Levi parted the material of his form-fitting black pants. Erwin saw a teasing glimpse of the dancer's groomed, dark pubes, and he swallowed inconspicuously. Thoughts began to take form in his mind that he hadn't really expected. Fantasizing about fucking this sensual creature were all well and good, but Erwin found himself plotting unwittingly. He could have Levi. He could seduce him, get him into bed. He could make those fantasies a reality. Erwin was very good at seduction. He'd charmed both women and men into his bed plenty of times before—people that nobody else even stood a chance with. If for some reason Levi proved unreceptive to his advances, he could use underhanded means to get him. He could—

_~What in the hell am I thinking?~_

The horrified thought snapped him out of his illicit ponderings. Erwin Smith was many things, but he did have some scruples when it came to coercing something as intimate as sex from people. He'd been in this business for too long, he realized. He was starting to lose his conscience. As he watched Levi's hands deftly tug down his pants to reveal a black thong underneath, Erwin came to another realization: it wasn't just _him_. This man...this small, beautiful omega, made him feel things he hadn't felt since before he ever took over his syndicate. He'd known that he was powerfully attracted to Levi, but he only now began to realize just how deep that attraction went.

"Something wrong?" purred Levi, dancing closer to him. His pale, perfectly toned abs flexed as he swayed his hips. The motion caused a little jiggle in his crotch, and Erwin's gaze went to the bulge there, helplessly fascinated.

"No, of course not." Had he been that obvious? Had his mask slipped? He'd thought he was doing well keeping his expression blank, but somehow Levi appeared to see right through it.

"Hmm. You seem tense."

God, his voice was so alluring. It was like every word Levi spoke right now just dripped with sexual invitation. Erwin steeled himself, somehow forcing his cheeks to remain cool as the stripper climbed into his lap, rotating his hips slowly to rub himself against Erwin's thigh. Levi pressed flush up against the alpha's crotch, still gyrating. He combed his fingers through Erwin's blond hair, mussing it.

"There, now you don't look so damned pristine and stiff," murmured Levi with satisfaction. He smirked a little, and he ran his hands over the alpha's broad shoulders. "Nice." He kneaded them with deceptively strong, thin fingers, easing the tension out of them.

Erwin was hardly surprised when his groin began to stir. The friction of Levi's crotch rubbing against his was delightful, yet frustrating. He started to touch him, and he hesitated. Most strip clubs had a strict "no touching" rule that patrons were expected to follow when getting a lap dance. The stripper could touch them, but not the other way around. "Hands off" was the usual rule of thumb.

As if he sensed his desire, Levi looked him in the eye and he leaned in to speak breathily into Erwin's right ear. "You can touch me, if you want to."

Fuck, did he ever want to. Erwin very nearly declined, irritated with himself for being so vulnerable to his alpha urges. He prided himself on having a strong sense of self control. _He_ was the one that made _others_ quake at the knees and get dry-mouthed with lust. He felt like he was reverting back to his teenaged years.

"I would like that," Erwin heard himself say.

He placed his hands on Levi's hips, trying to will his groin to stay soft. It was no good. The tent between his thighs steadily grew in size and height, and the little smirk on Levi's lips told him the omega was quite aware of the effect he was having on him.

"You don't have to keep them stationary, you know," informed the dancer. He covered Erwin's larger hands with his own, and he guided them up to his chest. "You can touch me anywhere you like, except between the ass cheeks and the groin."

Erwin took a steadying breath, and he ran his palms all over Levi's smooth, tight-muscled chest and torso. He circled them around to the dancer's back, and he traced the curving line of his spine. Beautiful. Perfect. Fierce. Predatory. These were all the things that sprang to his mind first, when thinking of how to describe this omega. Erwin didn't think he'd ever met an omega quite like him before. Levi was so confident and bold. His eyes spoke more than his expression. He was utterly in control of himself, and nobody could take that from him. It made Erwin want to prove him wrong...made him want him even more.

Erwin circled the omega's flat, small nipples with the pads of his thumbs, and he watched and felt them become erect almost immediately, reacting in a favorable manner to his fondling. The cross medallion hanging from the chain around Levi's throat glinted between his pecs. Erwin briefly touched the necklace, before returning his attention to the nipples. Levi made a soft, low sound in his throat...a sound of pleasure. It could have been just for show...just part of the entertainment to make a man feel good about himself and inspire confidence. The physical reaction of the buds tightening was simply biology at work, and the chill from the air vent could have easily been to blame for it. Erwin chose to believe it was a genuine reaction, though. In fact, he noticed that Levi blinked and frowned for the tiniest moment as if surprised by himself.

Feeling like he'd just taken a step towards a goal he hadn't even intended to set, Erwin spoke in his most seductive, droning tone of voice. "What would a kiss cost me, Levi?"

The omega's eyes narrowed slightly, and he pulled back to consider Erwin. "A kiss? That's not part of the lap dance. I'm already being pretty fucking generous."

"I'm sure you are," agreed Erwin, crafting his words with deliberate care. "I would be willing to tip handsomely for the privilege, though. Considering you're giving me this lap dance for free, you should at least get some compensation. Wouldn't you agree?"

"So then tip me." Levi shrugged. He rubbed harder against Erwin. "Go ahead and shove some money down my g-string. Just don't delve too deep when you do it."

"I would really like a kiss," insisted Erwin huskily. His heart was thumping hard now. He didn't know why he was being so insistent, like a kid demanding candy at the checkout counter of the grocery store. Wasn't it enough that this omega was grinding in his lap, letting him touch his body? Apparently it wasn't. "Levi, just one kiss."

A barely perceptible shudder went through the dancer as Erwin's insistent fingers continued to tweak and rub his nipples. "That...could lead to other things."

Erwin's breath nearly caught. Other things... _what_ other things? Was Levi hinting that he felt the magnetism between them as well?

"It won't," Erwin promised. "You've already made it clear that your body isn't for sale."

Erwin took his hands away from the dancer's body, and he held them out to the sides as if surrendering at gunpoint. "I won't even touch you. I simply want a kiss. One hundred dollars for one kiss, Levi. Your boss needn't even know. It's _your_ tip for a simple service rendered. It's a fairly reasonable request, wouldn't you say?"

Levi stared at him, hesitating. For long moments, he remained that way with his steely gaze locked on Erwin's icy blue one. Finally, he cupped the back of the alpha's head and he closed in on him slowly.

"Consider this," he whispered, his breath ghosting over Erwin's lips, "a consolation prize. You aren't prying this place away from Kenny's greedy hands, you know."

Erwin smirked. "I can be very persuasive."

"So I've noticed," responded the dancer, "but I know my uncle."

With that said, Levi's mouth connected with Erwin's. His lips were soft and pliant, warm and inviting. It was a little startling to the alpha. He couldn't remember the last time he kissed a pair of lips so silken to the touch. They parted when Erwin gently traced the crease between them with the tip of his tongue, and he delved in to familiarize himself further with Levi's mouth. He expected a typical cigarette taste to be lingering in the dancer's mouth, but there was a spiced, sweet note that made him realize why Levi's cigarette smoke smelled unusual. He was a clove smoker. That was a bonus, though the alpha knew that his own cigar taste probably wasn't as pleasant. Levi didn't issue any complaints about that, though. If it bothered him, he didn't show it.

Levi's tongue danced seductively against Erwin's, and then the dancer sucked gently on the exploring protrusion. It was extremely suggestive and inviting, and Erwin heard himself groan softly. Evidently, Levi's dancing skills weren't the only erotic technique he had to drive men crazy with lust. Erwin thrust his tongue a little more demandingly, and he slid his hands down to cup Levi's bottom.

That was when the office door clicked open, and the man that Erwin had come to see walked in wearing a black fedora hat. He spoke before Erwin could gather enough wits to break the kiss and take his hands off Levi's smooth, tight ass.

"Shit, kid…I wish you'd have told me you had a change of heart about giving clients special services! What the hell brought this on?"

Levi immediately pulled away from Erwin, and a charming, subtle flush of color blossomed over his high cheekbones. He climbed off of Erwin's lap, and he immediately gathered his discarded dancing outfit and boots. "Just making a potential investor feel welcome, you asshole. I'll be in the dressing room if you need me."

Kenny and Erwin both watched with equal bemusement as Levi hastened out the door, not bothering to put on any of his clothing before going.

* * *

" _'You can touch me if you want to'_. What the fuck was _that_?"

Levi mumbled self-critique all the way to the dressing room back behind the stage. He slunk past wait staff and patrons without even consciously trying to move so deftly. In fact, he was so quick and subtle about it that none of them even got the chance to notice him—but he could probably thank Petra for that. She was up on the stage in her gauzy butterfly robe, drawing most people's attention to her. Levi slipped back behind the stage and went through the door to the dressing room, covering his groin and pelvis with his bundled clothing.

"Oh, hey Levi," Eren greeted from his personal locker when he saw the head dancer come in.

Thankful that Jaeger was the only other dancer currently in the dressing room, Levi mumbled a cursory greeting. He kept on going, confused and frustrated by his own reactions to Erwin Smith.

"Levi, you okay?" Eren prompted with a concerned frown. "Where are you going?"

"To take a cold shower," blasted the smaller man, and he made a beeline for the shower room without saying another word. He dumped his clothes on the tiled floor once he was in there, chose a shower stall and yanked his thong off. His erection sprang free, flushed and stiff as a board. Levi twisted the cold water handle and he stepped beneath the spray with a little shiver, goosebumps forming on his pale flesh.

"Levi?"

Levi groaned, bowing his dark head beneath the spray. "What do you want, Eren? I'm busy."

"Sorry, but aren't you supposed to be on right after Petra?" Eren called from just outside Levi's shower stall. "I don't think you'll have time to dry your hair before you're up. Oh, I know what you can do! Put on a pair of swimming briefs and go out there with a beach towel! The wet hair will just make it more authentic!"

Levi clenched his jaw, and he opened his eyes to peer down at his groin. He'd danced with an unintended boner a couple of times in the past, but those were just spontaneous erections that sometimes happened to guys. This time there was a reason for his condition, and he would be damned if he was going to be up on that stage at full mast when the guy that inspired it could come out of the office at any time and see what he'd done to him. A lot of customers liked it when he or Eren got on stage in an obvious state of arousal. Their tips certainly reflected that. Maybe they liked to fantasize that they were the reason for the boner…

"Do me a favor, you shitty brat," Levi called to Eren, finalizing his decision, "go out there and do your next show ahead of me, after Petra finishes up. That'll buy me some time to finish my shower and dry off."

"But…I just went on like two dances ago," protested Eren. "Aren't you always saying we should evenly rotate—"

"Just do it," snapped Levi. "I'll even split my tips with you before we clock out, all right?"

Eren hesitated, and who could blame him? Levi raked in more cash in one night than most dancers did in three. The green-eyed omega was one of the exceptions though, being nearly as popular as Levi and Petra were. He proved that he wasn't hurting for money with his response.

"Awe, you don't have to do that. If you really want me to go on next, I will. I could also get one of the girls to go on next and go after them, if you want to vary it a little and have even more time."

Levi considered that, and he agreed with the logic. Having the top three dancers come onstage one after the other wasn't very good for anyone. The others should get the chance to get decent tips as well, before customers started running low on cash or deciding they should call it a night. He thought of the work roster for the night, and he mentally reviewed who had been out so far.

"Fine. Send Brenda out next, and Rachel can take the smaller side stage. You can go on after them, and I'll be the last dancer of the night. Whoever wants to take the side stage while we're on is welcome to."

"Probably Hitch and Mina," guessed Eren. "I'd better get Mina penciled in first. Hitch would scratch her eyes out to go on first, otherwise."

"Yeah, and Hitch has already had center stage," Levi agreed. He liked the girl's competitive nature when she wasn't having one of her lazy moments, but her initiative to make as much money with as little effort as possible sometimes wore on his nerves. Besides that, Dreyse could be so catty with the other girls that they'd end up in a sour mood all night long, and sulking dancers weren't much fun for anyone.

"Okay, I'll go and take care of that now," Eren supplied. "Uh, are you hungry? It's been a while since you ate."

Levi sighed. He couldn't think of eating right now, though he knew he probably should, at some point. "Don't worry about it, kid. I can get by for the night."

"All right, if you're sure. Just don't wait until you feel faint, sir. I had to talk Petra out of calling an ambulance for you, the last time."

Levi grimaced at the reminder. That would have been a severely fucked up situation. "I'll keep that in mind. Now get going, before Petra's finished up with her dance."

"Right. I'm gone."

Levi waited until he heard Eren's footsteps fade, followed by the door to the shower room opening and closing. Alone at last, he immediately reached down to take care of his problem.

* * *

-To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

 

Hange stared with rapt attention at the petite ginger omega twirling around the pole on the center stage. She'd stripped off everything except for her colorful, sparkly little g-string, and she'd dusted her perfect little body with some kind of glitter powder so that her fair skin shimmered with every movement. She was absolutely lovely, and for a brief moment, her golden-hued eyes met Hange's across the distance. She almost paused in her agile pole spinning, or at least it seemed that way to the eccentric alpha woman. Hange hadn't seen this dancer when she was last there researching the venue as a possible investment for the boss.

Without taking her eyes off of the stage candy that had caught her interest so thoroughly, Hange leaned over the bar to speak to the bartender named Farlan. "Hey, what's her name?" Hange gestured at the dancer.

"That's Madame Butterfly," Farlan answered, glancing up from his task of wiping off a glass.

Hange rolled her eyes, and she finally tore her gaze off of the omega female on the stage to give Farlan a pointed look. "I _know_ what her stage name is, you silly boy. I'm asking you what her given name is. Don't tell me her parents actually named her 'Butterfly'."

"Uh…" Farlan looked between the dancer and Hange uncertainly.

The alpha raised a brow at him. "Was there any part of my request that wasn't clear?"

He gulped, cracking under her level, red-brown stare. "No ma'am. Her real name is Petra. Petra Ral. I'm not really supposed to give away dancer's real names if they use a stage name though, so please don't tell anyone."

Hange smirked, and she reached into her blazer for her wallet. She handed over her credit card to the bartender. "Petra Ral, huh? I like it. It's unique. Well, you tell Miss Petra Ral that Hange Zoë wants a private dance from her as soon as she's finished this one and refreshed enough to do it. Unless of course she's available for a more…intimate…special service."

He didn't need her to explain what kind of "service" she meant. Farlan shook his head, and he gave Hange an apologetic little smile. "Sorry Miss Zoë, but Petra doesn't do that stuff. I can set up a dance for you, though."

"Hmm, I didn't think so, but it was worth a shot. The dance will be fine, then." Hange patted his cheek smartly, making him wince. "Good boy."

* * *

"Kenny Ackerman," introduced the club owner as he shook Erwin's hand. "So my nephew said you wanted to talk business with me? What kind of business might that be?"

"Ackerman?" repeated Erwin softly as the lanky man took a seat behind the larger of the two desks in the room.

"What, does my last name mean something to you?" Kenny watched him with a cunning sort of interest. His eyes were the same shade of gray as Levi's and his hair was dark, but as the omega had said earlier, the similarities between them ended there. Levi must have gotten his looks from the other side of the family.

"No, it's just an uncommon surname in these parts," Erwin replied smoothly. Actually, his thoughts went straight to one of his soldiers. He actually had an Ackerman in his ranks, and now that he thought of it, her hair was the same shade of black as Levi's, and just as lustrous. He wondered if it was merely a coincidence or if Mikasa could actually be related to these men.

Kenny shrugged. "If you say so. What can I do for ya, Erwin?"

"I'm interested in purchasing this club from you. I think you'll find my offer more than fair."

Kenny stared at him for a moment, and then he chuckled. "Club's not for sale, if you're serious."

Erwin reached into a pocket to withdraw a pen and a pad of paper. He wrote down a number, got up and placed it before Kenny on the desk. The club owner looked down at the figure penned down, blinked, and then looked up at the blond alpha like he thought he was pulling a prank on him. His next words confirmed the impression he'd gotten.

"Do I look like I was born yesterday, blondie?"

Erwin smirked at the other man, certain now that Kenny was an alpha like himself. "I'm sure you were born at least a couple of years before I was. No, I'm not pulling one over on you. I'm a businessman like yourself, and I'm in a position to offer you more for this place than you would likely get from anyone else seeking to buy you out. Please don't attempt to tell me that number is too low, Mr. Ackerman. I already know what a venue like this goes for on the market, and that number I've given you is at least double that figure."

Kenny looked down at the slip of paper again, and he visibly wavered. "What's a straight-laced fellow like you want with a strip joint, anyhow?"

The corner of Erwin's eyes crinkled with amusement. "You think I'm straight-laced?"

Kenny shrugged. "Compared to me, yeah. Answer the question."

"It's an investment. If I didn't believe it wouldn't pay for itself eventually, I sure as hell wouldn't be here making this offer right now. You've been having some financial difficulties lately, haven't you? Your employees are feeling the sting of it too. You've been pocketing a percentage of their tips, pressuring them to offer certain services that aren't part of their job description."

Kenny couldn't quite hide his disconcertment. "Who have you been talking to? That nephew of mine? That trash-talking little punk better not be spreading my business all over town, or I'll—"

"Levi told me nothing," Erwin assured him. "He did confirm what my sources have told me, though. You could get into a lot of legal trouble if law authorities catch wind of what kind of side business you've been running, you know."

Erwin bent over and placed his hands flat on the surface of Kenny's desk, looking him in the eye. "So tell me, who are you in trouble with, Mr. Ackerman? What sort of strife have you landed yourself in for a man like you to so desperately grasp at straws?"

For a moment, Kenny just stared back at him with narrowed eyes. Erwin could practically hear the gears turning in the man's head. The mafia boss offered one final bit of potent incentive, confident that he could seal this arrangement.

"Not only can my offer bail you out of the hole you're in, but I can offer you protection from whomever it is you've been paying off. I could be presuming too much, but my guess is that they're in the same kind of business I am."

Dawning comprehension leaked into Kenny's rough features, giving him away before he could confirm or deny Erwin's observations. The club owner's eyes flashed so briefly that Erwin wondered if it was just a trick of the light, or if he was imagining things.

"A loan shark," Kenny finally admitted. He sighed, and he squeezed the bridge of his nose between a thumb and forefinger, shutting his eyes as if he had a headache. "I got a little heavy into gambling a while back. Lost too much on it. I tried going to a bank but my credit score is too fucking low for a legit loan, so one of my associates suggested this guy."

Kenny opened his eyes again and he looked up at Erwin suspiciously. "I'd wonder if the guy works for you, but that doesn't add up. You wouldn't be trying to buy this joint if I owed you money, right? You'd probably just take the place from me."

"True." Erwin nodded. "You don't know who this lone shark works for?"

"Nah, he never told me. Him and his buddies jumped me one night outside my apartment. I could have handled two or three guys without a problem, but there were _six_ of the bastards. My balls ended up enflamed to grapefruit sized for a couple of days and I couldn't open my fucking eyes for almost a week, they were so swollen. It's not easy to put a guy like me in that kind of condition, Smith, trust me. They damned near killed me. They were on me with bats and tire irons before I could even react. Knew they were there, but I didn't know there were that damned many of 'em. These guys mean business."

"So do I," promised Erwin calmly. "In addition to the figure I'm offering, I'm also willing to pay off what you still owe this person and his syndicate. I'll see to it that he and his associates never set foot in this place or trouble you again. I'll even leave you on as the main manager of this establishment, since you already know how to run this business. That is, unless you would rather take your money and retire."

"I've been doing this for too long and even that figure you've offered me ain't gonna last me the rest of my life." Kenny sucked his teeth in thought. "So you'd trust me to keep running this place for ya, huh? Even after knowing what you do?"

"I believe once your problems are dealt with, you'll have no need to resort to robbing your employees of their earnings." Erwin shrugged. "I could be wrong about this, however. Time will tell. Know this, however: if you steal from me or your employees in the future, there will be consequences that make the threat of your loan shark look like child's play."

Kenny studied him quietly, measuring him. When Erwin's cold blue gaze didn't falter or blink, Kenny shrugged. "Sounds fair enough, but I've got some conditions."

"You really aren't in a position to make demands of me," warned Erwin softly.

"No shit." Kenny laughed, showing that he wasn't a man that was easily intimidated even by someone like Erwin Smith. "I know who you are, now. Thought it sounded familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it 'till you said you have something in common with my loan shark. Anyway, whether I'm in the position to or not, I still have a couple of things I want assured before I agree to this. You seem pretty determined to buy this place, and I need to make sure I'll still have a livelihood. What's it gonna hurt to listen?"

Erwin straightened up, and he gave a nod. "Let's hear your counter proposal, then."

* * *

He wasn't prepared for what he'd discovered while discussing the terms of the business arrangement with Kenny. In fact, Erwin was reeling a bit from it by the time he left the office and stepped back out into the main part of the club. He looked up at the center stage to see "Jaegerbomb" on it again, this time wearing a construction worker costume. It was ironic that he was the first dancer up when Erwin arrived and would be the last dancer on the stage before Erwin left. The young omega didn't _look_ like someone who had suffered the kind of hardships Kenny described to him. Jaegerbomb smiles seemed to come easy, and he playfully interacted with his audience as he performed for them.

Erwin's gaze flicked to the dark-haired girl in pigtails on the smaller stage. Now her, he could believe had been through being sold as a child in the sex slave business. She seemed a bit jittery, her dark eyes constantly flicking over the patrons close to her stage as if she feared one of them might reach out and grab her.

~All of them. Every one of these dancers are victims of human trafficking, except for Levi. He might as well be one as well, though. His situation with his uncle is only a couple of steps away from being the same thing.~

At least Levi wasn't being forced to have sexual relations with anyone. Erwin supposed that was a blessing. Still, to be under contract to strip for Kenny until he'd paid off his debt to him seemed harsh even to a man like Erwin. The mafia boss thought of how protective Levi was of his fellow dancers, and he had a strong feeling that if it weren't for his devotion to their well-being, he would have left long ago whether he'd paid off his debt or not. There was a sense of honor in that small, raven-haired temptation that Erwin found as fascinating as the omega's looks and grace.

Erwin looked around with a frown for Hange. When he couldn't spot her in the crowd, he sidled up to the bar to ask the bartenders. Jean told him that Hange had paid for a private dance and was probably still in the booth watching it. Erwin resisted a sigh, and he convinced Jean to have him escorted to Hange's private booth. A brunette waitress wearing her hair up in a ponytail got the keycard from Jean and she showed Erwin to the booth Hange had paid for on the second floor of the club. He walked in to see his companion be-bopping around in her chair, wiggling her shoulders to the beat of the electric dance music playing from the speaker in the booth. Out on the display floor was the ginger-haired dancer that went by the stage name "Madame Butterfly". She hadn't yet stripped completely, still clad in a skimpy bikini of shimmering pink material.

Erwin approached Hange, and he tapped her on the shoulder. She nearly flew out of her seat, and she turned to regard him with wide eyes, one hand splayed over her chest.

"Erwin, you just scared the shit out of me!"

"You should be more aware of your surroundings and less easily distracted," he admonished. "If I'd been an enemy, you could be dead right now."

Hange relaxed the hold of her other hand on the gun concealed beneath her blazer. "But you're _not_ an enemy, and I damned-near shot you. Don't sneak up on me like that."

Erwin smiled a little, but it was tempered. He nodded at the glass wall separating the booth from the dance area on the other side. "We didn't come here for this tonight. I told you to be on your guard and be ready for action if things went south, but then I find you in here, isolated from the rest of the club and from me if I were to need you."

Hange sighed, and she took her glasses off to wipe at the lenses with the hem of her shirt. "All right, all right. Maybe I should have held off until you were finished, but just _look_ at that girl! Can you blame me?"

Erwin looked, and he shrugged. "She's very attractive, I agree. Still, you need to understand the concept of putting business before pleasure."

"Oh?" Hange grinned at him, slipping her glasses back on. "Are you telling me there wasn't the slightest bit of pleasure involved in your dealings with that cute little guy in black that you went into the office with earlier?"

Erwin felt his face warm, and he kept his expression neutral. Hange couldn't possibly know Levi had given him a lap dance and made out with him before Kenny showed up. She knew his tastes though, and she probably guessed his attraction to Levi.

"We discussed business," insisted the blond, "and he contacted his boss for me to follow up with him on it."

Hange shrugged, and she had a sip of her cocktail. "Sounds boring. So, what was the conclusion of the meeting? Can I look forward to free drinks and private dances in this place from now on?"

"Perhaps free drinks," he said, "but these dancers will be compensated for their services accordingly, whether they provide them for us or someone outside the family. You should know better than that."

Hange blew a sigh. "Ah well, I can dream. You got the club though, right?"

Erwin nodded. "I did. It will be finalized by the weekend. There are some conditions I've agreed to that you and the other captains should know about, however."

"Okay. What conditions?" Hange patted the chair next to hers invitingly, and Erwin took a seat in it.

"Kenny Ackerman will continue to run the place as we discussed," explained Erwin. "He'll be on a management salary. All profits that don't go to staff salary and club maintenance will go to me at the end of each week, and you, my Consigliore and the other captains are entitled to ten percent each."

Hange nodded. Ten percent didn't sound like much, but considering she was one of five people getting that cut, it worked out to fifty-fifty between them and the boss, which was fair. "Okay. I'd keep an eye on that guy though, at least for a while. If he'd take profits from his dancers he'd probably take them from you, if he thought he could get away with it."

"And if he tries, I'll deal with it," assured Erwin. "We'll have the profit figures monitored to ensure we're getting our cut of them. If he begins to regularly come up short on payments, then we'll handle it. There's something else important that you all need to know. I'd rather not discuss it here, however. I'm holding a meeting tomorrow morning and I want all captains to attend, as it directly influences our relationship with these people."

Hange's brows went up with intrigue.

* * *

Levi was surprised to hear that Kenny actually caved and took the offer. He stared at the older man after being informed that while his uncle was still in charge of running the place, Erwin Smith was now the owner and everyone's top boss.

"I thought you said you'd have to be six feet under to give up this place," accused Levi. He was annoyed, and he didn't fully understand why. What fucking difference did it make whose name was on the deed to this place? He still owed his uncle a shit-ton of money, and it was still probably going to take him at least a couple of years to pay it off.

Kenny shrugged. "The offer he made was too good to pass up, runt. You ought to be thankful. Your friends are off the hook now. No more wage or tip garnishing from here on out." The alpha grinned at his nephew cunningly. "Of course, _you're_ still stuck here for a while. I thought of revising the contract and letting ya finish paying me back however you could get the money, but you rake in a lot of cash dancing here. I'm not risking that profit cut. The little pay bump will give your pals a little more incentive to stay on the roster too."

"It's not all about the money for them, and you know it." Levi narrowed his eyes at his uncle, resenting him even more. "I didn't expect to be let off the hook, even if you went for the deal. I don't fucking need you rubbing my nose in it at every turn, you old creep."

Kenny spread his hands. "I'm just clarifying what's going on with my head dancer. Didn't want to leave anything up in the air and have you forget your place. Oi kid, you _know_ you could pay off that debt a lot faster, if you really wanted to."

Levi's eyes glittered like steel, lighting up dangerously. "I'm not being your rent boy, no matter how much longer it might take me. Just remember, Kenny; nobody has to pay off debt to a corpse."

Kenny's eyes flashed as well, and he crossed the room to glower down at the omega. "I'm getting real sick of your mouth, you ingrate."

His hand shot out with lightning speed, and the blow landed before Levi could counter it. The dancer crashed to the floor out of his chair, briefly stunned. His pale features went hard with fury when he recovered from the shock and glared up at Kenny.

"That's it; you asked for it."

Just as quickly as Kenny had struck, Levi pounced from his position on the hardwood floor. He and the alpha went down in a heap and rolled around on the floor, raining blows on each other. Snarling and bearing his teeth, Levi got a few good hits in before he really started to pay for neglecting to feed himself again. At full strength, he could hold his own against Kenny. He'd even kicked his ass a couple of times before when they came to blows, but now his uncle had the advantage. Kenny's greater size and alpha strength won out, and Levi got pinned beneath him. The omega's ears rang from Kenny's next blow, and he tasted blood in his mouth.

"Goddamn it, Levi," growled Kenny, breathing heavily and bleeding from his nose. He visibly composed himself as he held the straining dancer down, keeping him pinned until Levi literally wore himself out trying to break free. "Now you've made me fuck up your face! You finished yet?"

"Not…by far," panted Levi. He licked at his torn lip. He was going to need to put ice on that. He was going to need to put ice on that. It would heal a lot faster than it would for the average person, but it would still get fat for a day or two if he didn't take care of it.

Kenny shook his head, and he finally got off of the smaller man. He picked up the hat that had flown off his head when Levi tackled him, and he crammed it on his head. "Better wise up and take care of that lip right away. It's in your best interests to look pretty on the stage, brat. Eat something too, damn it. I can't have you passing out in the middle of a dance and giving this place a bad rep."

Levi rolled onto his side as his uncle left him where he lay, slamming the office door on his way out. He heard Kenny speak to someone in the hall, his voice rough and angry. "What are you staring at, kid? Out of my way!"

There was a thump as someone's body hit the wall on the other side, and Levi growled and struggled to his feet when he recognized Eren's startled yelp.

"Motherfucker," gasped Levi, grabbing the back of his chair to help balance himself. He was dizzy, and he saw spots at the edge of his vision. He probably couldn't take on a toddler right now, but damned if he was going to let Kenny abuse any of the other staff and get away with it.

The door creaked open, and Eren Jaeger's poked his head in. Concern was plain on his handsome face, and Levi's name died immediately on his lips when he saw the smaller omega's condition. Eren swore and he hurried to Levi's side, putting a supportive arm around him.

"What was it about this time?" asked Eren gently. He cupped Levi's chin to turn his groggy head his way, examining the damage. "Shit, he really clocked you! You've already got a big bruise forming on your jaw."

"Don't worry about me," Levi managed gruffly. He looked Eren over too. "Did he shove you, or did you trip over your own feet again?"

"I tripped," admitted Eren. "He didn't push me or anything, Levi. I was just really startled when he came busting out of the office like that with a bloody nose. I was coming to report my tips for the night and…ah hell, doesn't matter. We need to get you taken care of. God, that guy is such a dick! I swear, if he hits you again…" Eren sputtered off, releasing Levi's chin to clench his hand into a fist.

"Calm down," advised the older omega. "You saw his face. I gave as good as I got. Just ran…out of steam."

Eren stared at him quietly for a moment, and he absently scratched his neck in thought. "Because you haven't eaten, right. Levi!"

Eren put both arms around his companion as Levi started to collapse, the last of his strength fading in another rush of dizzying weakness. The taller dancer caught him up, and he helped him over to the very spot on the couch where Erwin was sitting at earlier. Eren eased him down carefully, arranging his limbs into a more comfortable position. The brunet pulled open the top of Levi's shirt to help him catch his breath more easily, and he squatted down beside the prone dancer.

"Let's get you fed. Do you think you can eat with your lip messed up like that?"

"It's not that complicated," answered Levi tiredly. "I'll manage."

* * *

The next morning, Erwin explained the situation with the dancers to all of his captains at the meeting table. There was surprise on most faces, and disgust on others. Mike turned the information over in his mind carefully before speaking his thoughts.

"So what you're saying is that every dancer in this club you're buying was bought and sold in the sex trade industry?"

"Yes," answered the boss, "with the exception of one; Kenny Ackerman's nephew. From what I understand, Kenny spent a significant chunk of his assets purchasing these omegas from the black market under his nephew's insistence, more or less rescuing them from a life of abuse and probably an early death. According to Kenny, a small percentage of their wages—five percent—has already been garnished from the beginning in order to pay back the money he invested in freeing them. Each of them agreed to it when he took them on as dancers for his club, and Ackerman decided to make it a specialty strip club featuring only omegas, once he considered the draw it would bring."

"So these dancers traded one form of slavery for another," reasoned Nanaba with a frown.

"Not quite," Erwin corrected. "They have the same civil rights as any other omega, and each of them is free to quit the club and seek employment elsewhere if they wish. Levi is the only exception to that, and it seems the other dancers are so loyal to him that not a single one of them is willing to leave. I imagine the pay is also a bonus, even with five percent of their checks going toward the cost of their freedom."

"Wait a minute, boss," Dita said with a "time-out" gesture. "You said this Levi guy is the exception in all of this. Obviously he wasn't bought and sold like the rest of them, but what's this about him being unable to quit if he wants to?"

"He signed a contract with Kenny agreeing to stay on as a dancer until the full amount of what his uncle spent on the others was paid back. As it turns out, the sum Kenny paid for all of those dancers was greater than the building's worth. I'm going to abolish the five percent garnishment of the dancers' pay, but Levi Ackerman is going to have to settle up with his uncle himself. The decision to invest in this was to make money, not lose it."

"Shit, I'm almost afraid to ask how much the little guy still owes that creep," Hange sighed. "You don't think it would pay off to take care of what Levi still owes? You paid off his uncle's debt to the loan shark, after all."

"That was a much smaller figure than what that man paid to get those omegas out of the hands of their sellers." Erwin threaded his fingers together over the table's surface. "Apparently, Ackerman was quite wealthy before he made that purchase, and then he decided to get into gambling later to pull himself out of debt; hence how he ended up owing a loan shark."

Mike snorted. "Gambling's not how you get out of debt."

Nanaba nodded. "It's a fast way to get _into_ debt, unless you can rig the system to pay off every time."

Oluo shrugged. "People fool themselves into thinking they might just win big. That's the draw of it, and that's part of what makes this family one of the most powerful and profitable syndicates in this hemisphere."

"Exactly," agreed Erwin, "and I tend not to gamble unless I've got more than a reasonable chance of coming out ahead. This is why I haven't considered investing even more money into this racket by clearing Levi's debt to his uncle. If I were to do that, the most popular exotic dancer at my new club would have no reason to stay. If Levi goes, the others might go as well, and then what are we left with?"

"A common strip club with common strippers," Hange answered. "I get it. You'd have to go on the black market yourself to collect enough omegas to make it a specialty venue. Hmm, that's too bad for that Levi fellow, but from an investor standpoint, I see your reasoning."

"So this guy Levi," said Mike, "does he have to do anything extra, or is that optional for him too?"

"Optional. Levi decides for himself what, if anything, he's willing to do for extra money besides dancing. I spoke with him before meeting his uncle, and it sounds like he won't do more than provide standard escort services for interested parties. He has a strict screening process as well. Most of what he makes comes from his dancing."

"I'd say that's fairly good incentive for him to become as good as I'm hearing he is," stated Nanaba dryly. "I'd work my ass off to be the top dancer too, if I were him. So tell me, sir, do he and his uncle have any relation to Mikasa? I keep hearing you say 'Ackerman' and you have me curious."

"I really don't know. I would like Ness to ask her about that, actually. Not that it's important right now, but if there's a blood relation between the three of them, it might eventually prove to be an advantage. Dita, has Mikasa ever mentioned anything to you about this club or having family around here?"

"No, not a thing." He shook his head. "But that girl's pretty much a closed book. She does her job, she brings in her collections on time and she hardly ever screws up. I never thought to ask her about her family, but I can mention it to her."

"Yes, please do." Erwin mentally reviewed everything he'd spoken of, making sure he wasn't leaving out any important details. "I think this will conclude this meeting for today. Back to business as usual, until we've finalized the ownership transfer of the club. Nanaba, I'll need you to go through the club's financial record and give me an idea of the minimal amount we should be expecting to get each week."

"Yes sir."

* * *

The deal was finalized a couple of days later, and Erwin became the new owner of the Omega Experience. Erwin had transferred the agreed sum of money to Kenny's bank account using his laptop, as soon as all of the paperwork was signed, witnessed and copied to electronic file. He had the original hard copies and Kenny had copies of those. Once that was all completed, he met each and every employee personally, asked them a few questions about themselves and told them whom to expect when anyone came to the club on his behalf, be it to speak with the managers or collect money.

Once he knew a little bit about each staff member, he booked the party room upstairs for Saturday. He invited all of his syndicate members, both veteran and green, to attend a celebratory night. Not only did this provide a reward to them for their work, but it also allowed everyone to meet the staff and put faces to the names Erwin had provided for their reference.

That was when Erwin overheard two of the waitresses talking about Levi and Kenny getting into some sort of physical row. Apparently, it happened on the same night he'd approached Kenny to purchase the club. His ears perked up and he listened more closely to the young women's low conversation. They were putting out more finger foods and napkins for the party guests, and Sasha was explaining what she knew about the situation to her small blonde coworker.

"I'm telling you, Kenny came stomping out from the office with a bloody nose! Eren went in and he came out with Levi about ten minutes later. He didn't say what he found out, but he looked a little pale, so it must have been pretty bad."

Historia sighed. "Those two are always at odds. I'm afraid one day, they'll kill each other!"

"Maybe things will be different, now that we're under new ownership."

Historia looked around at the gathering of mafia members, the strippers entertaining them and then finally at Erwin. She noticed him watching, and she tried nudging the other waitress warningly when Sasha continued pondering things.

"I mean, I _think_ they're in the mob. I don't know if that's good or bad. On the one hand, they could bring some pretty heavy stuff in here and the place could end up getting raided. On the other hand, maybe they'll keep the rowdy crowds away and—ouch! Sharp elbows! What was that for?"

Historia cleared her throat and gave a meaningful nod at the tall blond alpha behind them. Erwin smiled when Sasha turned to look up at him with wide eyes and a slightly panicked expression on her face.

"Oh! M-Mr. Smith! I…oh no, I opened my big mouth and I'm s-sorry! I'm sure you aren't in the Mafia and—"

"It's all right," he soothed. "I was just admiring the cheese plate. Did the two of you put it together?" He chose not to mention their conversation at all. His mind was now focused on Levi Ackerman, and he wondered where he was tonight and how much of Sasha's gossip was just gossip.

"Yes sir, we put it together," Historia confirmed. "Excuse us please, we'll get out of your way now!"

Erwin started to tell the girls to wait so that he could bring Levi up and determine whether he was coming in tonight. He should have been scheduled given the event and the purpose of it, but if he'd been roughed up, perhaps he was taking a couple of days off. Erwin's lips thinned at the thought, and he looked across the distance at Kenny. The lanky man was off in the corner of the party room, talking to the female dancer with the brown pixie cut. Her name was Ally and she went by "Alley Cat" on the stage. Erwin narrowed his eyes at Kenny, trying to detect any sign of bruising on his face or damage to his nose. He looked perfectly fine to him. Perhaps Sasha just misunderstood the situation and the man had just gotten a common nosebleed.

"Excuse me," Erwin said to Hitch when the topless blonde crossed his path, "can you tell me if your manager is expected in tonight?"

She seemed confused for a moment, and she nodded at Kenny's direction. "Right there. You were just talking to him a little bit ago, weren't you?"

"No, I mean your head dancer," clarified Erwin patiently. "Levi."

"Oh, Levi!" Hitch giggled with amusement at the misunderstanding. "My bad. We're still adjusting to the ownership change, so when you said 'manager', I thought…well, anyway, I don't know about Levi. Maybe you could ask Eren or Petra, they might know. Sorry."

She was off then, making a beeline toward Connie and Oluo, who were apparently tipping the dancers very generously. With a little sigh, Erwin sipped his brandy and he searched for one or both of the suggested dancers. Something just didn't feel right. Granted, he didn't know Levi or anyone else on the staff intimately yet, but the head dancer didn't strike him as the kind of guy that just wouldn't show up for work.

* * *

Levi arrived at the club in a cab, having opted not to ride his motorcycle to work due to the rain. He cursed as he stepped right into a puddle as soon as he got out, and he shook his leg irritably, scattering droplets from his pant leg. He paid the driver and hurried inside through the back entry, bracing himself for another confrontation with his uncle for being late. As soon as he unlocked the door and got inside, he started for the dressing room to pat his hair dry and change into a suitable stripping outfit. He nearly ran flat into Petra on the way, and he stopped himself before colliding with her.

"Levi, there you are!" The small ginger looked relieved to see him. "The boss has asked about you, and I was just about to call."

"Kenny can wait," he said tersely. "Unless he wants to make a fucking scene in front of clients, I don't have time for his complaints."

"No, not Kenny," she corrected. "I mean the new owner, Mr. Smith. He's upstairs in the party room with his…er…other associates. Is everything okay? You're hardly ever late for work."

"My alarm didn't go off," he excused, finding it to be the most reasonable and believable explanation. "Power went out at my place and I forgot to set my phone alarm as my backup. Shit, I forgot about that party being tonight, too. Couldn't the guy have picked one of you to entertain him?"

Petra smiled, and she followed him into the dressing room. "I'm sure he could have, but it's obvious he favors you." Her shimmering copper robe fluttered behind her, hanging open to reveal the white bodysuit beneath it. "I don't think his interest in seeing you again has to do with you being the head dancer and talking business."

Levi stopped at his locker and he opened it to start putting his regular clothing into it. "Tch. I hope this guy doesn't start thinking my time is all his. I've got shit to do besides grind in his lap every time he comes here from now on."

"You must have made quite an impression," chuckled Petra. "If it makes you feel better, I'm pretty sure I have an admirer of my own in that bunch. She's been pulling me aside every chance she gets, tonight."

"She?" repeated Levi as he pulled his shirt off and folded it. "What's her type?"

"Me, apparently. Oh, don't glower like that, I'm only trying to be funny. She's an alpha."

Levi undid his pants with a shrug. "Figures. I'll bet most of Erwin's associates are alphas."

"No, I don't think so." Petra went to the male costume hanging rack to pick something out for Levi while he undressed. "So far, I'm pretty sure at least half of them are betas. He's got as many women working for him as he does men, too."

"No omegas, I'll bet." Levi pulled his pants off, unconcerned with changing clothes in front of his coworkers. "He just wants our kind for his lap dances."

Petra selected a black and silver ensemble, and she tilted her head curiously as she handed it over to him. "You seem a little hostile towards Mr. Smith. Did he do something horrible the last time he was here?"

"No," answered Levi shortly. "I'm just sick of the same old pecking order and I'm tired of alphas trying to push me around."

"He only asked about you," reminded Petra. "I think he just wanted to see you again."

"And I think you're a hopeless romantic," countered Levi. He stripped out of his briefs, and he started dressing in his stripping outfit without bothering with a thong. He didn't feel like dealing with the extra layer tonight; he just wanted to get his shift over with and be done with it. Erwin did strange things to his judgment the last time he'd seen him. He hoped it was just a fluke, and he'd be able to maintain his detached frame of mind tonight.

"So this alpha chick that's been monopolizing you tonight," Levi said with a grunt, bending over to pull up his black strip pants, "what's she like? She's not being an asshole, is she?"

Petra shook her head. "No, she's fine. She's got reddish-brown hair, glasses, really interesting colored eyes. I'd say her complexion is like Eren's. She's got a really good sense of humor too. Of course, I don't understand all of her puns, but she's made me laugh a few times since she got here. Oh, and her name is Hange. I guess she's the brainy one of the bunch. She'd probably get on your nerves after a while, but I like her."

Levi thought he recalled seeing someone matching Hange's description with Erwin at the bar the night he took him into the office, but he didn't really notice women much. He had his misgivings about Erwin's crew possibly frequenting his club just because he knew what sort of business they were in, but he had to admit that Erwin had demonstrated good manners the last time he was there. Maybe he was one of those classy mobsters that wouldn't let his underlings act like animals. Levi supposed only time would tell.

* * *

As soon as Levi walked into the room, Erwin could sense him. He could smell him. The scent of him was one of the things Erwin hadn't been prepared for. Every omega had a subtle undertone of pheromones to their scent that identified them for what they were to any alpha close enough to detect it. Levi's own unique scent blended in with his omega scent, and it was like none other that Erwin had ever smelled before. He wondered how it might affect him if amplified by a heat.

Erwin turned around, following his alpha senses. He saw Levi come in with Petra Ral, dressed in a pair of black pants, black boots and a silver and black, long-sleeved shirt of a light material. The shirt was semi-transparent and open in a V to display Levi's clavicle and the top part of his chest. The plain silver cross that he seemed to favor was glinting against his skin.

Kenny spotted his nephew at the same time as Erwin, and he stopped his conversation with Ally abruptly. Erwin saw that he was heading straight for Levi, and a protective instinct welled within him. He beat him to it, inserting himself between the older Ackerman and the younger one.

"Levi, good to see you've made it," said Erwin. He could sense Kenny behind him, but the lanky man had stopped his approach. Erwin looked carefully at the dancer's face, searching for any signs of a beating. Levi's bottom lip had a faint bit of swelling and the remnants of a bruise, but it looked like at least a week-old injury. "I'd like to speak with you alone for a moment, if you have it to spare."

Levi regarded him blankly, and then he glanced at Kenny behind him and he nodded. He turned to his female companion. "I'll be back in a little while."

"Sure." She nodded. "I'll tell Kenny about the wardrobe malfunction."

Levi briefly frowned, but then relaxed his expression again. "Thanks."

* * *

While Erwin went with Levi to the office for a chat, his captains and soldiers were enjoying the party thoroughly. Connie was like a kid in a candy store. He couldn't seem to decide who he liked looking at the most, and it wasn't just the dancers that caught his attention. He liked looking at the tall brunette waitress with the ponytail.

"Hey Mikasa, do you remember what they said that girl's name is?" Connie pointed with his beer at the waitress, who was clearing off some dirty plates to be washed.

Mikasa looked, and she nodded. "Sasha Blouse."

Connie's appreciative gaze slid over the waitress, taking in her small black shorts, her white half-top and her wedge sandals. "Cute. So how about you?"

"How about me what?"

"See anyone you'd like to hook up with in here? They might only have two male dancers, but I guess the bartenders are kind of good-looking. That blond bouncer's built like a brick shithouse."

"I'm not here to 'hook up'," insisted the raven-haired alpha. She had a sip of her green cocktail. "I'm here for the boss and to learn more about this place. We're probably going to be sent here for collections, you know. It's best to learn names and get to know the layout of the place."

Connie sighed. "Can't you just relax and have fun on our day off?"

"I _am_ relaxing and having fun," she countered. "I'm also taking mental notes, and you should too."

She went quiet and stared as one of the male dancers came into the party room. Even from the distance, she could see the green of his eyes. Tan skin, decent height, nice build, brown hair kept above collar length and long on the top…very attractive. He stopped, spoke with the pigtailed girl and then said something to her with a smile and a pat on the shoulder. For a moment, Mikasa wondered if she was looking at the head dancer, simply because he seemed to be encouraging the pigtailed dancer or giving her advice. She dismissed the notion right away after observing him for a moment. No, that wasn't Levi Ackerman. He must be the guy that went by "Jaegerbomb" on the stage; Eren Jaeger. She knew he was a dancer because he was shirtless, wearing a pair of tight cobalt pants and a pair of thigh-high leather boots over top of them. She also keenly noticed the subtle seam on either side of the pants, giving them away as a tear-away article of clothing.

"Looks like someone's caught your interest, after all," Connie observed with a smirk. "Guess that's one of the two male dancers, right?"

"Jaegerbomb," agreed Mikasa softly. Eren was wearing what looked like black spiked dog collar around his throat. Mikasa flushed, staring.

"Go talk to him," Connie urged with a nudge. "You're the one that wants to learn about this place. Bet he'd give you a lap dance. You think he's hot, right?"

"He…he has a nice…throat," Mikasa answered, still staring at the spiked collar. Actually, the dancer had a nice _everything_ , but she'd just blurted thoughtlessly.

"Nice…throat?" Connie appeared bemused, and then he shrugged. "Whatever does it for you. Most girls would notice the chest or the ass or the package first."

Mikasa sighed in annoyance. "I'm going to talk to Hange. She had an assignment for me tomorrow and I want to get the details."

"Come on, she's not gonna want to talk about that right now!" Connie gestured in Hange's direction. She was busy dancing with the little ginger she'd taken such a liking too. "You'll piss her off."

"She can talk and dance at the same time," insisted Mikasa. She took another sip of her drink, pulled her gaze off of the scantily-clad young man that had caught her eye, and made her way over to the corner Hange was in.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm going to need the address of the place you want me to go tomorrow morning. I'd rather get it from you now than have to wake you up that early for it."

"Huh? Oh, right." Hange kept swaying, staying close to Petra without actually touching her. She dug out her phone, flipped through a few apps and looked up the info. "Okay, ready?"

Mikasa nodded, and a moment later she got a text from Hange with all of the information she needed. "Thanks."

"Sure thing, kiddo. Oh, hey Eren!"

Hange waved and grinned at someone coming up behind Mikasa. The younger woman went stiff for a moment, and then she turned around to find herself facing the dancer she'd nearly broken her neck doing a double-take at.

"Hi. How are you enjoying the party?" Eren greeted. He had a nice voice. It was a pitch above tenor, but not quite alto. He noticed Mikasa, and he blinked at her, his mouth going briefly slack. Suddenly his outgoing confidence seemed to sputter out a bit, and he gave Mikasa a boyishly shy smile. "Hi. I'm Eren. I don't think we've met?"

"No, not yet," agreed Mikasa, holding his gaze. He had such interesting color to his eyes. She'd thought they were solid green from the distance, but now she could see flecks of gold in the irises, and there was a band of gold around his pupils that bled into the green smoothly, almost like a color gradient.

Mikasa blinked and looked away, sticking her hand out. "Mikasa Ackerman."

"Ackerman?" Eren took her hand, squeezing it briefly as he shook it. "Hey, would you have any relation to our managers? They're both Ackermans."

"I'm sure there's some common ancestor." Mikasa shrugged fluidly. "But there's more than one Ackerman family in the world, you know."

"Ah, right." Eren flushed a little, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "I just made myself sound stupid, didn't I?"

"A little," Mikasa said mercilessly, but then she couldn't help but smile at the dismay on his handsome face. "But you aren't really stupid for asking. It's a reasonable assumption. This is the first time I've ever heard of any Ackermans around here besides my family."

Eren grinned, still holding her hand. "So have you met Levi yet? I saw him here a minute ago, but he vanished right after that."

"Oh, he went with Erwin somewhere," Hange informed. She fed Petra the cherry from her cocktail, and she chuckled when the dancer dribbled a little and mumbled an apology. Her chuckle faded when Petra used the tip of her tongue to clean up the dribble.

"Excuse me," Hange said, "I need to hit the ladies' room. Now Petra, don't you run off on me! I still want to learn that rotating thing you do with your hips!"

"Miss Hange, are you going to try your hand at stripping?" teased Petra.

Hange appeared to consider it. "Hmm. Maybe. Eh, no. No, I'm not." She winked at the omega. "At least not on a stage."

Eren's brows went up, and Mikasa mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?" Eren asked, leaning closer to her. His scent was making her light-headed in a good way.

"She needs to be careful," Mikasa answered, referring to Hange, "about what she says to you dancers."

Eren seemed a bit puzzled. "She was just flirting, though. She hasn't touched Petra all night."

Mikasa was getting more uncomfortable by the moment as Petra regarded her curiously as well. "Well, we aren't here to flirt with or proposition any of you. Excuse me."

Eren and Petra watched with confusion as the young mafia soldier went to browse the buffet for something to eat.

* * *

"So what can I do for you?" Levi asked as he stepped into the office with Erwin. He closed and locked the door, knowing that Kenny wouldn't dare use his key to get in knowing their new boss was in there having a private conversation with him.

"What happened to your lip?" Erwin asked softly. He reached out to gently trace the lower one, causing a little sting when his thumb brushed over the healing spot.

"Nothing. I just bit it on accident. Guess I should put some makeup on it to hide it, if it's that obvious."

Erwin shook his head. "It isn't that obvious. I might not have noticed it, if I hadn't overheard a pair of waitresses mention you getting into a fight with your uncle the other night."

Levi stared mutely up at him, neither confirming nor denying it.

"Levi," pressed Erwin, "did he strike you?"

The omega shrugged, looked away. "So what? I struck back. Happens all the time with us."

Erwin's expression darkened, and the blue of his eyes intensified. His alpha scent intensified as well, and Levi inhaled it deeply without consciously meaning to. "His contract with you doesn't' give him the right to smack you around," informed Erwin in a low, dangerous voice. "What was the argument about that started this?"

Levi clenched his jaw, miffed. "What are you, my protector now? I can handle myself."

"I made it very clear to your uncle when I took over ownership of this place that any abuse to the staff won't be tolerated," Erwin explained, "and that includes you. Whatever personal family disputes the two of you have is to stay _out_ of the workplace. Not only would it reflect badly on the club if any customers saw the two of you beating the shit out of each other; I'm simply not okay with him striking you. Was it at least in self-defense?"

Taken aback by the intensity of Erwin's offense, Levi forgot whatever smart-ass thing he was going to say, and he told him the truth of it. "No, it wasn't in self-defense. He was rubbing my contract in my nose, bragging about how I'm still stuck in this place until I've settled up with him. Pissed me off. I told him dead men don't need debts repaid and he took a swing at me. I jumped him and got a few hits in myself. That's how it went. We clash. Always have."

Erwin took a deep, slow breath, and Levi could sense the anger radiating from him, even though his aristocratic features were calm and still. The eyes and his aura gave him away, but not many could have picked up on that. Levi felt a little shiver go through him. He'd never met anyone before that could provoke such a reaction in him. It wasn't exactly fear or intimidation; it was more like awe.

"Whether you two clash or not, whether you threatened his life or not, he has no right to strike you," Erwin insisted, his deep voice rumbling. "That being said, words are merely words, but they have the power to provoke violence. From now on, don't discuss personal things with your uncle. Stick to business matters when here. I can't dictate how you two speak over the phone or outside the club, but while you're here, you act like business associates and nothing else. Is that understood?"

Levi nodded mechanically. He couldn't really find fault with that logic, and truthfully, he was sick and tired of Kenny always taunting him with his situation. "Are you gonna tell him the same thing you've told me?"

"That and more," promised Erwin. "But as for you, I have additional insurance to take out."

Levi frowned at him in confusion. "What are you t—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Erwin took him by the shoulders, pushed him up against the wall and bit him on the side of the neck. Levi cursed and flailed, shocked and surprised.

"What the fuck are you doing? So Kenny's a shit-stain for hitting me, but it's okay for you to fucking bite me?"

Erwin growled, licked the spot, and then started to rub his jaw against it firmly. He also rubbed the inside of his wrists all over Levi's half-bared chest, and he switched sides and rubbed his jaw against the other side of Levi's neck. It then occurred to the omega what the purpose of this was, and he felt a conflict of outrage and a hot rush of desire. Erwin grinded against him, rubbing not only his scent gland locations all over Levi, but his hard, tall body as well. Levi sputtered and gasped, hardening in his pants as the alpha's thick, powerful thigh wedged between his. The alpha pheromones and the aroma overpowered Levi's senses, and he grabbed a fistful of hair at the top of the blond's head and yanked, forcing Erwin to pull his face away from his throat.

"Are you out of your damned mind?" gasped Levi, but then, somehow, he was crushing his mouth against Erwin's. Maybe the madness was contagious. Their tongues wrestled aggressively, and Levi was lifted up and pinned against the wall, his legs wrapped around Erwin's waist. His body was heating up, and he moaned into Erwin's mouth, teeth scraping against the alpha's.

All the sudden, Erwin broke the kiss, let the omega down and took a step back. He was panting just like Levi, his eyes aglow with primal intensity. "Now," said Erwin huskily, "he won't dare lay hands on you again. Neither will any other alpha, if they know what's good for them."

Levi stared at him, his eyes wider than usual as the mafia boss stepped aside, opened the door and left the office. Putting a hand over his neck where Smith had bitten him, Levi slid down the wall on weak legs. The door opened again, and Erwin stuck his head back in to look down at him, leaving him with a parting announcement.

"If it's any consolation, your scent is all over me now as well. It isn't one-sided."

Levi stared up at him with parted lips, dumbstruck for perhaps only the third time in his whole life. The door closed again, and he was left alone, sitting with his back to the wall and wondering what in the hell just happened.

* * *

Mike was the first to notice something was different about their boss when Erwin returned to the party room. He picked up on the scent first, having the keenest sense of smell of all of them. The minute Erwin strode past him purposely, Mike caught a whiff of it, and he paused with a chicken wing halfway to his lips to sniff after the other alpha. There was an aura of menace around Erwin's form that wasn't lost on the other nearby members of his syndicate. Two of the rookies hastily moved out of his way as his path took him directly to Kenny Ackerman.

Nanaba came up next to Mike, and she watched with him as Erwin grabbed Kenny by the arm, took him aside from the people he was talking to, and spoke to him in a low voice. At first, Kenny looked like he was arguing, but Erwin said something to him that shut him up quickly.

Mike moved in a little closer, perking his ears. From the corner of his eye, he saw that Hange had also stopped what she was doing to watch and listen in.

"...no longer yours, Ackerman," Erwin was saying. "Yes, he still owes you and yes, his contract to this place is still valid. It's _my_ contract now, however. From now on, he is your co-manager and nothing else. Your personal relationship has no business here, and you are going to keep it separate from work. You will interact with each other on a professional level while in this building, and you will _not_ lay hands on him again."

Erwin's next words made Hange's jaw hang open, and Mike dropped the chicken wing he'd been about to eat.

"Levi Ackerman is _mine_. Think on that and what it means, Kenny."

Kenny was staring at him with dawning comprehension, and he looked caught somewhere between amused and wary. "You've really got a boner for the little shit, don't ya, Smith?" He stepped back and spread his hands. "I get it. Fine. You're doing me a favor, taking the smarmy bastard off my hands. Good luck keeping him in check, pal."

Erwin glowered at him for a moment, and then he turned and made his way to the exit.

"Mike," Nanaba muttered, coming up next to him again, "what the hell's going on?"

"I'm not sure," admitted the towering, shaggy-headed blond.

* * *

When Levi didn't make another appearance at the party, Eren, Petra and the others got worried. Some of them took a break from entertaining their guests to discuss it.

"Do you think he might have left with Mr. Smith?" Mina wondered. "He was looking for Levi earlier, after all."

"I hope not," Rachel whispered with a little cringe. "I don't know what Mr. Smith said to Kenny, but the look in his eyes scared me. He didn't have any expression on his face, but I got the chills looking at him, anyhow. You could smell alpha aggression all over that guy."

"All right, let's not jump to conclusions," advised Petra. "Yes, we need to respect Mr. Smith's authority and power, but I don't get the impression that he would hurt or abuse an alpha. I caught a little of what he said to Kenny, and it sounded like he was warning him to leave Levi alone. Now, maybe Levi did leave with him, or maybe he's just not feeling well enough to perform tonight. Eren, you should go and look for Levi. He seems to open up to you the most, and you can usually get away with approaching him when he's in a bad mood. I'll try and find out if any of Mr. Smith's associates know anything. The rest of you get back to work and keep our customers and party guests entertained, or we could all get in trouble."

They all conceded to her logic, and they went their separate ways.

* * *

Eren found Levi on the floor in the office, right where Erwin had left him. He immediately went to his senior's side, slamming the door behind him and squatting down to look him over. "Levi? Are you okay? What happened?"

Eren saw that the smaller man's pupils were wide as if with shock, and Levi had one hand clamped over the left side of his neck. "Did Kenny come in here and do something to you?" Eren demanded.

"Bastard bit me," Levi mumbled through pale lips.

Thinking that he meant Kenny, Eren's bright eyes went wide. " _What_? Why? I mean, can he even get anything out of doing that to someone just like him?"

"No, not Kenny," corrected Levi. His dazed gray eyes finally met Eren's. "Smith. That giant blond fuck bit me on the neck, and then he rubbed himself all over me and...fuck!"

Now that his initial panic over seeing his mentor sitting there like a rag doll had faded, Eren started to comprehend what he was hearing. His eyes widened further, and he gently pried Levi's hand away from his neck to have a look. The teeth marks he found there might have looked like any ordinary human teeth marks, except for the blistering around them. It wasn't just a bite mark; it was a brand. He could smell Erwin Smith's alpha scent all over Levi.

"He marked you," whispered Eren. "Not just with his scent, either. Holy crap, Levi! Does this mean you're mated to the boss now?"

Levi shook his head. "No. Not yet, anyway. It just means...I'm marked as his omega. Fucker didn't even ask me, he just went for it. And here I was thinking he might be halfway decent even if he _is_ a fucking gangster."

Eren's mind raced. He'd only spoken with Erwin a couple of times, but the man had made him feel...safe. Erwin seemed to have a sort of chivalry to him that made Eren think he wasn't likely to ever force himself on anyone. He seemed protective of omegas and women, so why would he...?

"Do you think maybe he did it because of what happened between you and Kenny?" postulated the brunet, trying to make sense of it. "He's been talking a lot to everyone, asking us questions, asking if we're treated decently and if we like our jobs. Maybe someone said something to him during an interview and...and he's just trying to...you know, protect you."

Levi looked at him through hanging locks of black fringe that had fallen partway over his right eye. "Funny, that's kind of the excuse he gave me. Said Kenny and other alphas won't dare lay a hand on me now; or at least, not any of them that respect other alphas' territory."

Levi clenched his teeth, and he struggled back to his feet. He rubbed his hands over his body absently, and he raised his left wrist to his nose and inhaled. He almost seemed to swoon, and then he abruptly got angry and flush-cheeked.

"Damn it! Damn that arrogant shit and his shitty alpha bullshit!"

"Whoa, Levi, calm down," pleaded Eren when the smaller omega whirled around and punched a hole into the office wall. "It's just scent marking, right? I'm sure the bite mark will heal and—"

"It's going to leave a scar," interrupted Levi. "That's what alpha bites do when the purpose is to mark their mate. Something gets in their saliva when they get that urge, and it leaves a permanent mark. It'll fade over time; probably faster with me than others, but it's always gonna be there as a reminder."

"So alpha bites always burn?" Eren's brows furrowed. "Or just when they're claiming a mate?"

"Just when they're claming a mate. No more questions, Eren." Levi sighed tiredly, bowing his head. "I've managed to avoid this kind of bullshit for most of my life. One minute in the office with _that_ one, and look what happens. I ought to kill him."

Eren looked on helplessly at his mentor's tense shoulders, and he hated the combination of defeat and rage in Levi's voice. "Hey Levi, you said 'not yet' when I asked if you were mated to him now. What does that mean?"

Levi sighed, and he lifted his head to look at the younger omega as Eren got to his feet as well. "It means the bond won't be sealed until we mate. I'm not just talking about fucking; that isn't the same thing. Remember what I told you about that?"

Eren nodded. "Yeah. You can have the urge to 'mate' but if you're not in heat and your partner's not in rut, it's not uh...officially a mating? Is that right?"

"That's right. I've got to be in heat, he's got to be in rut, and we've got to be physically joined. Unless that happens, all he has is his stupid territorial mark, like a dog pissing on a stump to let other dogs know they were there."

"Okay, so you're still safe, right?" Eren spread his hands. "Even if you fuck him, it doesn't mean you'll be bonded with him."

"Not even that's gonna happen," Levi insisted. "Heats can happen in the middle of screwing sometimes, and so can ruts. Smith can keep on dreaming if he thinks I'm going to let him do me, especially after this stunt."

Levi shrugged, his eyes flashing silver-white for a moment. "But hey, if he really did this for my... _protection_ ," he spat the word, "then he shouldn't mind not getting anything out of it, right?"

"I...I guess not." Eren shrugged. He was beginning to wonder if Levi's protection really was Erwin Smith's only motivation behind marking him, though.

* * *

-To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

"So are you gonna tell me what's going on?" Mike asked Erwin the next morning after the party. They were in Erwin's home office, going over the latest profit reports together. "You've still got that dancer's scent all over you. Have you even showered since yesterday?"

"Why, do you think it stinks?" Erwin begged to differ, if that was the case. Levi's scent mingling with his own was intoxicating to him, and it acted almost like a high. He felt relaxed and almost giddy. He didn't even have a challenging tone of voice when he responded to Mike's question. He almost sounded flippant.

"No. It's a little distracting though, to be honest." Mike shrugged. "But seriously, boss, what's going on? I thought you'd sooner die than tie yourself down to one person. Next thing I know, you've scent-marked some dancer you hardly even know. What's up with that?"

Erwin sobered, and a small frown tugged at his lips. What, indeed? Mike's observation wasn't wrong. He'd made it pretty clear to the other blond that he had no interest in a relationship, and Mike was not only his underboss; he was also his closest friend.

"Let's call it me protecting my investment," said Erwin at last, carefully. "Levi Ackerman is the most valuable employee at the Omega Experience. Without him, the other dancers have no real incentive to stay. I'm sure you realize this."

Mike shrugged again. "Yeah, so? He's under a contract. You didn't need to scent-mark him to make him stay, chief."

"True, but I can tell you one thing for certain about this man: he will only take so much shit." Erwin smirked. "I've a strong feeling that Levi could leave easily at any given moment if he truly wanted to, regardless of the agreement he signed with his uncle. Apparently the two of them are prone to getting into altercations, and the night that I closed the deal with Kenny, the man struck Levi after they got into an argument."

"So tell him not to do it again." Mike snorted softly, folding his arms over his chest. "Seems easier than making a claim on some omega when you don't even want a mate or family."

"My reasons are varied," Erwin explained. "Not only will my mark on Levi deter other alphas—Kenny included—from laying hands on him. It will also allow some measure of influence over Levi. You know how the connection between an alpha and his or her omega works. It was a tactical decision on my part, and it provides an advantage for us in maintaining our newest business acquisition. The other dancers look up to Levi. They all but worship him, in fact. If I have influence over him, I have influence over them as well. I doubt that Levi would easily abandon the omegas he gave up so much for in exchange for their freedom and safety, but I would rather take out some insurance than leave it up to chance."

"Huh. So you marking that guy was strictly for business reasons?" Mike smirked knowingly at him. "He's pretty damned cute, boss. You sure there wasn't some other reason mixed in there?"

Erwin contained his dignity, used to Mike taking the occasional jab at him whenever he didn't do something completely logical. "I'll admit that the possibility of bedding him is a perk. That is not, however, my primary reason for doing this. Are we finished now?"

"Hmph. Sure." Mike thumbed through his paper files. "I think I've got all of my reports in order."

"Good," approved Erwin. "Mine are nearly taken care of as well. You can just leave yours here if you want, and I'll add them to the stack when I've finished with mine."

* * *

While Erwin was working on business, Levi was working his way to an orgasm in his sleep. He tossed the covers off of his sweating body and he squirmed in his bed, panting softly. He wasn't even aware of it when his hand slipped beneath his briefs, seeking out the aching throb of his hardened groin. He groaned softly and tossed his head, dark locks sticking to his perspiring forehead. He could still smell Erwin all around him, even though he'd bathed and scrubbed himself until his skin was pink. The alpha pheromones clung to him like a leech, refusing to be washed away no matter how hard he tried.

He could still feel Erwin's lips against his, could still feel the tingling burn of his bite on his throat. He wanted...no, he _needed_ more. Wanted to feel those big hands on his body, wanted to feel that hard, powerful frame crushing up against his.

"Fucking...bastard," panted Levi dazedly, fisting his hand around his hardness beneath his underwear. He began to stroke himself, his imagination catching fire. Firm. Erwin Smith's touch would be firm...authoritative. It was so easy to envision it; disturbingly easy. Levi pictured the blond alpha male's handsome, aristocratic features. He pictured his broad mouth, his thick golden brows and the icy blue eyes beneath them.

He wanted to feel that bite again. He wanted Erwin's teeth to pinch firmly on the vulnerable, sensitive skin of his neck. He wanted to feel what was undoubtedly an impressive cock sinking into him, filling him up. He wanted to feel what it was like to have an alpha dick knotting inside of him, wedging them together as Erwin's cum filled him to the brim. It wasn't just ordinary desire he was feeling. This felt more like a hunger, like he needed it to even keep surviving. Levi had never felt such a consuming need for another person's touch before. He was starving for it, parched and thirsty like he hadn't fed in a month.

"Fuck," gasped Levi, stroking himself harder, faster. His ass was throbbing, begging for that hot blond shithead's meat. "You...motherfucking...bastard!"

He was rapidly getting overheated, and his face flushed with his efforts to get off. It was much easier for him than usual. Levi's sexual fantasies were always rather straight-forward, with some faceless guy with a body like a Greek sculpture fucking his brains out. Now he had a face to go with that body. The mere thought of Erwin Smith's topaz gaze boring into him while he pounded him stupid was enough to bring Levi to the brink before he could even prepare himself for it.

"Shit...oh shit..."

He hastily kicked the covers further aside, and he yanked his briefs down to fully expose himself as he started to twitch in his pumping hand. Levi's hips lifted off the mattress and he cried out, tossing his head back as he came. Panting like he'd run a marathon, the omega's slitted eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling fan slowly spinning above him.

"Damn, that was good," breathed Levi, paying himself the highest compliment he'd ever bestowed for beating off.

He frowned as he realized what he'd just said, coming down from the high of the afterglow rapidly. Levi had never, ever fantasized about one specific person before. Most of the erotic encounters he'd experienced were touch and go, leaving him sated enough for satisfaction without any emotional strings attached. Most of them were beta males, too. In fact, he'd never had an alpha male knot inside of him before, so he had no idea what it really felt like. He tended to avoid sexual encounters with alphas for the simple reason that they were all so fucking territorial. He didn't have time to deal with some guy's misplaced possessiveness. He _liked_ being single, being able to come and go as he chose without having to check in with another person.

And yet somehow, he felt lonely. It was a new feeling for him, one that he wasn't accustomed to and did not like at all. It seemed very unfair, and he reached up with his free hand to gingerly touch the healing bite marks left behind by the alpha responsible for it. Nature was trying to trick him into wanting something he'd never wanted before. He was frankly surprised. He'd heard other omegas testimonies about how strong an alpha's influence could be. Once they marked you, there was a bond that couldn't be easily dismissed. That bond was magnified if a true mating took place, and once that happened, there was no breaking it.

"Not gonna happen," whispered Levi stubbornly. He didn't care if it drove him insane. He didn't care how badly his body longed for Erwin's touch. He intended to keep what freedom he still had left, and not even the charismatic mafia boss was going to change his mind about that.

* * *

Eren didn't really like working day shifts at the club, but he was working on saving up to get a bigger place. Therefore, he took as many shifts as Levi was willing to give him. He was dancing in his brown leather costume when he spotted a familiar head of wheat pale blond hair in the audience. Armin Arlert was there, and he was wearing his shoulder-length, pale hair pulled back on the sides. He wore a long-sleeved white shirt with a deep blue vest over it, looking a bit out of place amongst the other patrons of the club. Eren's day felt immediately brighter, though he was a little embarrassed to have his friend show up all the sudden. Armin had never seen him dance before, and undressing in front of the gentle-spirited school teacher felt a little weird. Nevertheless, Eren smiled just for Armin, and he came close to waving back at him when the blond beta male smiled up at him and gestured in greeting.

_~What's he doing here? Armin doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would go to a skin club.~_

At once, it dawned on Eren. He and Armin were supposed to have a tutoring appointment today. He'd completely forgotten. Eren's guilt dampened his pep a little bit, and he made his way to the edge of the stage and made a show of bending over to display his ass to the audience watching him from behind.

"Hey, I am _so_ sorry," Eren called out, taking advantage of the moment to speak with Armin. "I took an extra shift and I forgot I was supposed to meet up with you for my reading lesson!"

Armin smiled benignly, his pale gaze sweeping over Eren's dancing ensemble with interest. "I thought you might have forgotten. That's why I came. What time is your shift over with?"

"Uh..." Eren glanced at the neon clock hanging on the far left wall. "I've got at least one more dance after this one. Hey Farlan, would you take care of my friend, here? Whatever he wants to drink; it's on me!"

"You got it," promised the bartender, and he sidled over to Armin to take his drink order.

"Oh, that's really not necessary," Armin protested politely.

"Hey, you came to see me at work when you totally didn't have to," Eren insisted. "Let me buy you a couple of rounds while you wait, okay?"

"Well...if you insist." Armin smiled at the dancer again, and then he turned to address Farlan. "I'll just have a club soda with a little lime, please. It's a bit too early for me to drink alcohol."

"Coming right up," promised Farlan.

Eren kept dancing while Farlan fixed Armin's drink for him. He tried not to feel self-conscious. Armin worked at one of the local middle schools, and his specialty was reading and writing. Apparently he also taught history, so his schedule was pretty full. They'd met at the local library when the beta saw Eren struggling to read a children's book. Like most of the other dancers at the club, Eren hadn't grown up with the opportunity to get an education. Omega children taken for the purpose of becoming sex slaves obviously didn't go to school like other kids their age. Armin had been so kind and sympathetic when he'd approached Eren and asked if he wanted help learning to read and write. They'd bonded almost instantly, and ever since, the school teacher invested his personal time in free tutoring lessons for Eren and anyone else that wanted it, when he had it to spare.

Eren was the only one that hadn't learned to read or write at all before he was taken from the orphanage and bartered for like an animal, though. Mina and Ally occasionally joined them for their lessons just to improve her skills, but the rest of them could get by well enough on their own.

Armin sipped his drink and he watched Eren's performance. He visibly blushed and glanced away when the omega began to strip his clothing off and gyrate against the dance pole, and Eren felt himself blushing as well. Poor Armin...he was such a polite guy, and Eren felt an almost overpowering urge to apologize to him for being so lewd. Arlert was a grown man though, and with his IQ score, it was unquestionable that he'd known he'd be seeing some flesh when he decided to come to Eren's workplace. Telling himself that Armin was too classy to judge him for it, Eren kept up his routine and he collected the tips offered to him by appreciative patrons.

Everyone had to make a living somehow.

* * *

"Very good, Eren! Your enunciation is improving more with each visit."

Eren glanced up from the passage he was reading aloud from the text book Armin had brought for the lesson, and he smiled bashfully. "You really think so?"

"Absolutely." Armin nodded, and he reached over Eren's kitchen table to pat the omega's hand encouragingly. "I hardly need to correct you anymore. You're doing great!"

Eren impulsively squeezed the blond's hand in gratitude. "I practice whenever I have the free time to. I've even started turning on the closed-captioning when I watch my TV shows. I like to turn the sound off and see if I can follow what's going on just by reading the subtitles."

He sighed, and he lowered his bright gaze with a shrug. "I'm not fast enough yet to keep up with it, though. The words flash by too quick for me."

"Trust me Eren; with your determination, you'll get there sooner than you think." Armin glanced down at the tanned hand resting over his own. He didn't retract himself from Eren's touch. "Eren, can I ask you something a bit personal?"

"Sure. I won't get offended. I'll tell you if I'm not comfortable answering."

Armin met his gaze searchingly. "You said that you and all of the others were...sterilized...when those animals took you for the flesh trade."

Eren nodded slowly, a brief flash of pain crossing his features. "Yeah, we were. None of us can ever have kids, unless we can save up enough to get the surgery to try and reverse it. Even then, there's no guarantee. Why are you asking?"

Armin closed his eyes briefly. "I'm sorry. It must be a painful subject for you. I just wondered how permanent it is. I...well, I did see that you're...ahem...intact, so..."

Eren flushed. Yes, it was quite obvious to anyone watching him by the end of any dance routine that he had all of his bits. Maybe that was what inspired Armin to bring this up. All at once, he started to laugh.

Armin looked both startled and horribly embarrassed. Two bright spots of color stained his cheeks, and he grimaced. "I can't believe my own boldness. At least you're laughing about it. Can we just forget I asked?"

Eren waved it away, still chuckling. "No, you're fine. It's all right, Armin. I just have a weird sense of humor sometimes and when you said it's obvious I'm intact, my first thought was: _'Well yeah, my balls were pretty much right in your face and kind of hard to miss'_."

Armin started to laugh softly as well, still blushing. "I swear you are the most easy-going guy I know, Eren. I think most people would have been offended or depressed by such an intrusive question."

"I'm not as easy-going as you might think," corrected Eren, sobering a bit. He thought of how angry he'd gotten at Kenny when he found out the man had gotten physically violent with Levi the other day. "If anyone ever threatened you, I'd go ballistic. People think omegas are all passive, but that's not true."

"I never thought so," assured Armin. "Granted, I only know two omegas outside of you and the other dancers I've met, so I haven't had much of a basis for comparison. Your head dancer...Levi, isn't it?"

Eren nodded.

"Well, he doesn't leave even a remote impression of being a passive individual," finished Armin with a smile. "In fact, he rather frightens me."

"It's the glare." Eren winked, and he withdrew his hand. His hand felt lonely without the warmth of Armin's beneath it, and it dawned on him that he was flirting with the guy. He cleared his throat, hoping he hadn't offended the blond. "We're always joking around that if Levi ever wanted someone dead, all he'd have to do is shoot one of those killer glares at them. We never say that within earshot of him, though."

Armin laughed at that. "I'll bet! I can imagine the carnage. Not that I mean to speak badly of your friend. I know he's done a lot for you and the others, and I know he's a good person. He just intimidates me."

"He intimidates everyone." Eren smirked. "Except maybe Kenny, but since he's Levi's uncle, that makes sense."

"Or maybe Kenny is just too thick to have the sense to be afraid of him," suggested Armin, his smile fading a bit. Anger sparked in his expressive blue eyes. "You know, he might be your boss, but I really dislike that guy. He...well, he _oozes_ , if that makes sense."

"Oh yeah, it makes sense," agreed Eren, also frowning a bit. "I totally get the 'ooze' factor. Hey, can I tell you something? You have to keep it to yourself."

"Of course! You can tell me anything, Eren."

Eren glanced around, feeling an irrational and paranoid concern that his boss would jump out at him from the walls the minute he opened his mouth. He leaned over the table, and he spoke in a whisper to Armin. "Kenny's been hitting on Petra a lot. Not even Levi knows about it, and I'm scared if he finds out, there's going to be a real bloodbath. Those two got into it the other day and they beat the hell out of each other in the office. I came up on the hind end of it and found Levi on the floor in there after Kenny stormed out. I don't even want to think about the damage if Levi found out about him macking on Petra. If you think he's scary now, just wait until you see him actually pissed off."

"I'd rather not see that, thanks," Armin said jokingly, though his eyes were serious. "How do you know your boss has been hitting on her, though? Did she say something to you?"

Eren shook his head. "No. I overheard him making a suggestion to her in the dressing room the other night. I'm pretty sure asking for a blowjob equals hitting on someone, right?"

"Er...yes. I think we can safely say there isn't much more to interpret from that." Armin flushed, and he grimaced. "Eren, I know you're all very loyal to Levi, but isn't there some other venue of this nature you could work for? I don't know very much about the exotic dancer career, but surely there are better bosses out there."

"Oh, don't worry," Eren hastily reassured him. "Kenny isn't the owner anymore. This thing with Petra happened before we got bought out, and our new boss made it pretty damned clear that Kenny's going to be in deep shit if he finds out he's being abusive to any of us. I just wanted to talk about it to someone. I've been sitting on that all week and it was driving me nuts."

"So...the club has been bought out? Who's the new owner, then?"

Eren shrugged. "Erwin Smith. He's um...kind of in the mafia, I'm pretty sure."

Armin's eyes bugged out with recognition of the name. "Eren, he's a kingpen!"

Eren cocked his head inquisitively. "Doesn't that mean a cog or something?"

Armin lowered his voice to a hushed whisper. "It means he's a boss in organized crime! He's been in the news, Eren. Unless the name is coincidence, your new boss is the leader of one of the biggest organized crime syndicates on this side of the globe. Just last year, he went to court and they tried to prosecute him and two of his captains for murder and selling drugs on the black market. They got off...probably bribed the judge to facilitate it, too. Are you _sure_ his name is Erwin Smith?"

Eren blinked. He felt like he was suddenly in the middle of a gangster film. "Y-yeah. That's his name. Holy shit, I knew he was involved in the mob, but seriously? He's a _boss_?"

"What does he look like?" pressed Armin. "Describe him for me."

"Well, he's tall and he has really neat blond hair. Blue eyes...good-looking. He's an alpha."

"Oh my God." Armin put his face in his palms. "Does he happen to have someone named Hange working with him?"

It was Eren's turn to get wide-eyed. "Yeah! Hange Zoë. She was there at the party last night. There was also a guy named Mike—"

"Zacharius," finished Armin for him, spreading his fingers to peer through them at the dancer with horror. "Shit."

"So this is really the same guy?" Eren's skin prickled with goosebumps. "I'm working for a mob boss? Wow! That is so _cool_!"

Armin slowly lowered his hands from his face. "I think you've failed to see the issue, here! Eren, these people are _extremely dangerous_. Forget all romanticized notions about the mafia fed to you through movies and television shows, all right? People get killed when they get involved with these organizations. I don't want to see your face on the headlines next month as another victim."

Eren blushed. "I think you're being a little dramatic, Armin. I'm not working a drug ring or blowing off people's kneecaps. I'm just a dancer. I'm sure it's going to be fine." There was something flattering about the blond's sincere concern for him, though. Outside of his close-knit circle of dancer friends, Armin Arlert was probably the only person that sincerely gave a damn what happened to him.

"I know, I sound paranoid," sighed Armin. He smiled gently at the omega. "I could be overly protective. I just spend a lot of time reading the news, and you're...you're dear to me. I just want you safe."

Eren smiled back at him, and he reached out to grab Armin's hands and give them a squeeze. "I know. You're important to me too, Armin. I guess if our situations were reversed, I'd be worried about you too."

"Just be careful," cautioned the beta softly. "Hopefully, they won't be conducting any illegal business in your club. Overhearing your previous boss hitting on one of the other dancers is a _lot_ safer than overhearing mafia business, Eren. If you hear anything that you think legal authorities would be interested in hearing about, do yourself a big favor and forget about it. Better to stay silent than end up at the wrong place at the wrong time and—"

"Armin, it's okay," interjected the dancer, laughing a little in spite of himself. "Shit, you really _are_ worried, aren't you? I'm not a total dummy. I've got enough sense not to eavesdrop on anything our new owner or his people talk about, and I'm pretty sure they aren't going to be discussing any illegal mafia stuff in the club."

"You never know," Armin stated, but his tension seemed to ease somewhat. "I know you aren't stupid, Eren. I also know you're kind of impulsive, though. Just make sure you stop and think when those people are around, okay? Don't think like Eren Jaeger. No offense, but you've got bigger balls than common sense, sometimes. I don't mean that in a derogatory way. You're an intelligent person and a fast learner, and your ability to react without needing to think about it can be an asset. It can also get you killed, however."

"So what you're saying is that I should think more like you if I ever overhear anything these mafia guys say, right?" Eren grinned at him. "I'm not offended. You're probably right, and you're a lot more rational than I am."

"That depends on the situation," admitted the blond. "I may not be entirely rational, when it comes to your safety. I just want you to be careful."

"Got it," agreed Eren with a nod. "I'll be careful, Armin. Hey, thanks for trying to watch out for me."

Armin lowered his gaze. "Just so you aren't left with the impression that I'm patronizing you. You're my friend, and I would be giving you the same advice regardless of type or gender. You know that, right?"

Eren leaned back in his chair. He hadn't even considered the idea that Armin might think he needed protection just because he was an omega. "Hey, I know that. I don't see it as any different from Levi giving me advice. I know you don't think about omegas that way, Armin. Like you said; we're friends, and friends look out for each other. Don't worry."

Armin smiled again. "Good. The last thing I want to do is inadvertently insult you because I'm such a big nursemaid."

Eren grabbed the beta male's hands again, giving them another squeeze. "I know. We're good, Armin."

* * *

Heeding Armin's warning about getting more involved with the new club owner or his associates than absolutely necessary proved to be more difficult for Eren than expected. That weekend, a handful of days after their latest tutoring session, Eren saw Mikasa Ackerman again. He came out onto the main floor of the club after his last dance, having changed into a pair of black jeans and a netted muscle shirt. When he saw and recognized the raven-haired beauty that he'd only met once before, his stomach suddenly clenched. His mouth abruptly stopped producing saliva, and he couldn't help but stop and stare at her.

_~Man, is she ever pretty.~_

* * *

Mikasa sipped at her virgin colada, and she looked around at her surroundings. She was there to fetch the profit logs from the last three months from Kenny, and the waitress named Isabel had gone to find him for her. Mikasa froze when she saw a familiar, far too attractive for his own good dancer standing amongst the crowd. He was staring right at her with those stunning green eyes, and the music, the whistles and vocal noises, everyone and everything around her seemed to just...stop.

_~Damn it, why does he have to be so pretty?~_

The thought entered her mind as Mikasa shook her long, dark bangs back to get a better look at the object of her attention. She held his eyes as she had another sip of her drink, and without even realizing she was doing it, she ran the tip of her tongue over the rim of her glass. Her serene, dark gray gaze looked him up and down. He was wearing that collar around his throat again. She got a sudden mental image of grabbing it and yanking him toward her for a deep, aggressive kiss.

Mikasa blinked, and she looked away first. Her cheeks warmed. Eren Jaeger somehow effortlessly inspired the most primal and aggressive urges in her. She didn't necessarily enjoy that. Self-control was paramount to her, and to have it so easily ripped out from under her like a rug was unsettling, to say the least. She heard Eren give a little yelp, and her eyes shot back to him just in time to see him rubbing his ass and looking at a patron that was standing behind him. The man was an alpha, and he leaned over to mutter something in Eren's ear. The dancer appeared uncomfortable for a moment, and then he spoke back to the man with a flashy little smile and a shake of his head.

_~He grabbed his ass.~_

The realization made Mikasa scowl. Not that she could really blame the guy for having a grope; Eren's backside was a temptation for anyone. The young man made a living taking his clothes off and humping air for the entertainment for others. Selling sex—even figuratively—was what these omegas did to earn their bread and butter. Surely Eren was used to people helping themselves and copping a feel now and then.

Mikasa's eyes narrowed when the customer talking to Eren frowned and said something in response to Eren's reply, and she saw the dancer's shoulders tense up. The next thing she knew, Mikasa was right up next to Eren and grabbing the patron's wrist before he could reach out to touch Eren again.

"Back off," she warned in a flat, dangerous tone.

The male alpha appeared to be taken aback, and so did Eren. "What did you just say to me?" demanded the tall brunet alpha with a challenging frown. He sniffed in her direction. "I don't smell your scent on him, girl. Mind your own business."

"If you want a whore, go and pay for one elsewhere," Mikasa said evenly. "Don't harass our dancers, or I'll be forced to remove you from this place."

She wasn't even fully aware of what she was saying. Her alpha aggression had risen, as had her protective instincts. If he dared to lay another finger on Jaeger, she was more than prepared to break it off. Her eyes said as much as the male alpha tried using his greater height to his advantage and looming over her.

"Did I make myself unclear?" Mikasa said, glaring balefully at him. "The strippers are here to entertain you with their dancing, sir. If a trick is what you're after, you'll have to look elsewhere. He's obviously said 'no' and you aren't respecting that. Don't make me use force."

Eren was ogling her, and his emerald gaze flicked between Mikasa and the man that had obviously gotten overly pushy with him. He finally found his tongue. "Sorry, but I don't do that sort of thing. You asked and I told you. Thanks for the offer though, sir."

The male alpha yanked his wrist out of Mikasa's grip, staring at her for a second longer before shifting his attention back to Eren. "Your loss, kid. I'd have made it worth your time."

With that said, the guy backed off and went to the main stage to watch the girl dancing on it. Eren visibly breathed a sigh of relief, and he looked at Mikasa with a little smile. "I thought you were about to rip his face off. Thanks for that, Miss."

Mikasa smirked the tiniest bit. Eren was so expressive...so earnest. It made him even cuter in her eyes. "Does that sort of thing happen often for you?"

Eren shrugged. "About once or twice a week. It's okay though; word gets around and some of the other dancers are fine with doing the uh...'special extras'. I'm just not one of them."

Mikasa nodded. She wasn't surprised by the information, nor was she surprised to hear that Eren didn't participate in the exchange of sexual favors for currency. He hadn't given her the impression that he was into casual sex, even though he wasn't shy about showing off his hot, tanned body to the world.

"Well, regardless of assumptions, people need to respect your right to say 'no' and back off. My boss I'm sure would agree with me. Please make sure to inform the other dancers to go to Mr. Smith or one of us if anyone harasses them. It will be dealt with, I promise."

Eren nodded. "I will. Don't worry, everyone already goes to Levi if something like that happens, anyway. Some people are just kind of entitlement minded when it comes to us, so we all get the occasional customer that doesn't want to accept it when we turn down a request. I'll make sure to let everyone know they can go to you guys too, though. Thanks."

Mikasa gave another nod. She was still riled up over it. Eren sounded so casual about it, so he was obviously used to having it happen to him. That didn't sit right with her. Nobody should have to get used to harassment, regardless of what they did for a living. She spotted Kenny coming toward her, and her eyes narrowed. A single look at the man told her that the name Ackerman wasn't just in name alone. She'd known the same of Levi when she got briefly introduced to him the other evening, and she could tell that he sensed it from her, as well. Only true Ackermans gave off an aura like that, no matter how diluted their bloodline might be.

"So you're Mikasa, huh?" Kenny stopped before her, and he offered his hand. "Didn't get the chance to talk to ya at the party. Kenny."

Mikasa nearly turned down the handshake. She already disliked this man. Not because of the bad things others had said about him, but because of the shifty look in his eye. He was the kind of person one had to watch their back around. She wondered if Erwin was making a mistake by allowing Kenny to keep running this place.

Since she didn't want word to get back to the boss that she'd deliberately snubbed a business partner, she pushed aside her distaste and she shook his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm here for the profit records. I believe Nanaba called you about it?"

"Yeah, I've got 'em ready for you." Kenny released her hand, and he offered her the folder he was carrying in his right hand to her. "It's all here. If you've got any questions, just call me or my nephew."

Kenny looked at Eren, who was still standing nearby. He frowned at him. "What are you standing around for, kid? You're still on the clock, so work the crowd when you ain't up there dancing."

"Ah, right. Um, talk to you later, Miss Ackerman," Eren said, wincing a little in response to the remonstration. He took off and he looked around for the first likely party that might want to buy him a drink and have his company for a little while.

"I'd best be going," Mikasa informed smoothly. She couldn't logically get annoyed with Kenny for reminding one of the dancers to do his job, yet it rankled her anyway. Eren and his coworkers must have a really high alcohol tolerance to spend their time between performances getting drinks from everyone. It was a wonder any of them could stand upright at the end of a shift, let alone twirl around on a pole without vomiting all over the stage.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Mikasa, the dancers didn't actually get real alcohol when patrons offered to buy them drinks. Kenny had learned early on what a mistake that was when poor Petra got smashed after her third cocktail and fell right off her barstool. After that, he decided to set up "dummy" bottles behind the bar specifically for the bartenders to pour from whenever a customer wanted to buy a drink for a dancer. Water and creative use of food coloring gave the illusion that they were serving liquor, but the drinks given to the strippers were really just watered down virgin cocktails. The bottles were rotated each day to keep the customers from picking up on the fact that they were paying full prices for drink mixers and water. The bartenders had to be extra careful to keep track of where they put the real liquor so that they wouldn't accidentally give a dancer alcohol or give a customer a placebo drink.

Of course, mistakes sometimes happened. Every now and then, either Jean or Farlan would get busy enough to accidentally mix up the fake liquor with the real liquor. Some people noticed and complained about getting watered down drinks, and some didn't realize it at all—particularly when they'd ordered something with vodka in it.

This was not always an accident, though. In Jean's case, he liked to "accidentally" spike Eren's drink with real liquor just to fuck with him. He knew it was mean, but sometimes Jaeger got on his nerves so bad he just wanted to take him down a peg. Getting him tipsy enough to botch his next dance and embarrass himself was the goal, but so far he hadn't managed to slip him enough booze to succeed in that.

"Here you go," Jean said, sliding a Long Island iced tea to the omega. Maybe this time...

"Thanks." Eren sipped at it, and he smiled at the woman that had bought the cocktail for him.

Satisfied that he'd again succeeded in slipping Eren a Mickey, Jean smirked and he went to take care of a customer that looked like they needed attention. He glanced back over his shoulder, and he noticed the little frown on the dancer's lips as Eren peered suspiciously at the glass in his hand.

"Damn it, he's onto me," muttered Jean.

He should have known Eren would catch on eventually. He liked to pretend the guy was too naive and flaky to pick up on it, but Jean had to grudgingly admit that Eren wasn't a fool. He saw Eren motion to his fellow bartender, and he knew he was about to be in for it when Farlan approached Eren and leaned over the bar to let the stripper speak into his ear. Farlan took Eren's drink, sampled a sip from it, and then said something to him before dumping the drink out and mixing him a fresh one. Jean took an absurd interest in mixing a cocktail for the customer he'd just taken an order from, and he tried to be casual as he sensed Farlan coming up behind him.

"Hey," said the other beta into Jean's ear, "you need to cut it out."

Jean glanced at him, and he shook up the cocktail and poured it into a glass over ice. "Cut what out, man?"

"Don't bullshit me," warned Farlan. "Eren's figured it out, and your lucky he played it off like you mixed him the wrong drink and had me get him a different one. He could go to Levi or Kenny about this, or our new owner."

"Hey, if I accidentally poured from the wrong bottle that sucks, but you've done it before too," defended Jean, face flushing.

Farlan wasn't buying the excuse. "Yeah, sometimes we both goof, but you always manage to do it with Eren. Don't try to sell me a line about it being just an honest mistake, Jean. You're messing with one of our star dancers on purpose, and if Eren falls off the stage and breaks a leg or something because you snuck him too much liquor, it's going to be all on you. So knock it off before you get your ass fired, okay?"

Farlan turned away to wipe down the bar before Jean could even attempt to answer him. Embarrassed over getting caught and chastised, Jean silently conceded that he should probably back off, at least for a while. He caught Eren glaring at him, and he spread his hands with a shrug. No real harm was done, right?

* * *

Levi came in after five pm to find Eren and Jean standing out back of the club, arguing heatedly. He pulled up on his motorcycle, cut the engine and dismounted. Unzipping his leather jacket, Levi approached the two of them and he peered over the top of his shades at them.

"What's going on?" demanded the dance manager.

Both young men were too busy quarreling with each other to hear Levi immediately.

"You did it on purpose," accused Eren. "You _know_ you did! How fucking stupid do you think I am, horse face?"

"You really want me to answer that?" Jean sneered. "You're over-reacting, Jaeger. Sometimes we get fucking busy behind that bar. Shit happens, so get over it."

"I'm going to ask one more time," Levi said, raising his voice a notch and darkening his tone. "What in the hell is this about? Shouldn't you two shits be in there working?"

Eren jumped in response to his mentor's demand, noticing the small man for the first time. He flushed, and he shot a glare at Jean as he spoke. "No sir, we both just clocked out for the day."

Levi raised a brow, reminding Eren silently that he was still expecting an explanation for the argument.

"He tried to slip me real liquor earlier," said Eren in a rush. "I wanted to handle it myself. Sorry you walked in on it, Levi."

"Hey, it's your word against mine," snarled Jean. He softened his tone respectfully as he addressed Levi. "This guy came after me spouting accusations, Mr. Ackerman. You know sometimes we slip up during the busy hours. Sometimes we catch it in time and sometimes we don't. Eren had like two sips, so it isn't like he got wasted."

Levi sighed, and he pushed his shades further up to shield his eyes from the sunlight. "Your sure some part of you didn't do it on purpose, Kirstein? The petty bullshit that goes on between you two clowns makes me wonder."

"Exactly," agreed Eren with a scowl at his rival. "This is the third time I've caught it. I was willing to believe it was just a mistake at first, but now I think he does it on purpose."

Levi grabbed them both by the arm and dragged them under the shadow of the building. He ripped his glasses off, and he glared up at both young men in turn. "Since I can't read minds and wasn't here when it happened, I've got to take this as a 'he said, he said' situation. Jean, if it really was an accident, pay more fucking attention. Eren, he says he didn't do it deliberately and you've got not proof otherwise. Drop it now."

Eren lowered his bright gaze contritely. "Yes sir."

Jean nodded. "I'll be more careful, Levi."

"Good. Now get out of here and enjoy the rest of the day off," advised Levi in clipped tones. He left them there, opening the back door entrance and going in to begin his shift. He sighed as he went into the dressing room and started going through his wardrobe to pick out a dancing outfit.

"Hi Levi," greeted Petra, coming in a few moments after him. When he grunted in acknowledgement and kept changing, she paused. "Okay, what's the matter now? Your shift hasn't even started and you're already scowling."

"Just more stupid bickering between a couple of brats," answered Levi absently. He pulled his muscle shirt on, and he stopped for a second. Maybe he shouldn't have dismissed Eren so fast. He was feeling hungry, and he hadn't taken the time to take care of that himself before heading to work.

_~I was too busy beating off all day to eat. Idiot.~_

He again blamed Erwin Smith. He knew the other dancers probably smelled Erwin's alpha scent on him, along with Kenny and the two alphas that worked as bouncers. None of them had said anything to him about it yet, though. Eren was the only one he'd talked to about Smith marking him like that. Levi knew that the scent _would_ eventually wear off, but the bite mark wasn't going to fade for at least a year, and it would never completely vanish.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered.

"I think you're getting a little worked up over those two having another argument," Petra advised gently. "Levi, you've been really tense lately. Maybe you could take a little vacation?"

He shook his head. "I wasn't referring to them. That was about something else. I can't afford to take a vacation, if I ever want to pay Kenny back and get out of debt."

She bit her lower lip. "It's because of us that you're in this situation. I'm sorry, Levi."

"Why?" Levi slipped into his knee-high boots. "I'm not sorry. I don't regret anything."

"But you're so unhappy," she whispered, her amber gaze soft with sympathy on him.

Levi buckled up his boots, straightened up and walked over to the petite ginger. He put his hands on her shoulders and he held her gaze. "Don't do that. I knew exactly what I was doing when I negotiated with Kenny to get you all out of there, okay? I'm not as miserable as you think, and if I could do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing."

Feeling more charitable towards Petra than he currently felt towards anyone else, Levi took advantage of the fact that she was the only person he knew shorter than himself. He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, and then he turned away to grab the hat he liked to wear with his current ensemble. He heard Petra's little sigh, but he'd done all he could to convince her that she needn't feel guilty.

* * *

-To be continued


	4. Chapter 4

Time passed by, and true to his word, Erwin resisted the temptation to make Levi his omega in every way. It was difficult, especially after scent marking him and in turn, marking himself with the dancer's scent as well. His instincts told him that Levi was already his and he shouldn't hold himself back, but practicality won out as usual with the tactful mafia boss. A part of it was also Erwin's reluctance to fully commit to one person. He tried to reason with himself that his natural urges were goading him into wanting something he'd never wanted before. Each time he saw Levi, however, it got harder to think logically and remember that he'd had other reasons besides desire for marking his territory.

A month had passed since Erwin bought the strip club and branded Levi as his own. He visited the club at least once per week, sometimes twice if he was having a rough day. He reserved private dances each time he stopped in, settling for watching the object of his lust take his clothing off and perform just for him. He fantasized about Levi, and more often than not, he ended up beating off to the omega's performance in the privacy of his booth.

He spoke to Levi sometimes in the office, asking him about how business was going, how his day was, how the others were. Erwin tried to be kind to him. He wanted to charm him, wanted to gain his trust. He wanted Levi to want him. He knew the omega felt the attraction between them as keenly as Erwin did, but he was also aware of Levi's resentment. Every week, the alpha scent-marked Levi again, renewing his claim on him as soon as the alpha pheromones started to lose potency. Levi always cussed him out and struggled a little, but it always ended with the two of them lip-locked and grinding against each other.

It was maddening. To be honest with himself, Erwin really didn't know how much longer he could hold back. He feared that if he succeeded in seducing Levi and finally bedding him, it would be _him_ , Erwin Smith, that would become love's fool. The more he got to know Levi, the more obsessed with him he became.

* * *

Eren was starting to get used to Armin meeting up with him at the club on their tutoring nights and watching a dance or two before leaving with him. They almost always went to Eren's little apartment for their lessons. He still felt a little weird about Armin seeing him strip, but that was because of reasons other than the blond helping him improve his reading and writing. At first, he thought it just troubled him because Armin was such an intellectual, and he didn't seem to belong in a place like that. As time went by and the two of them got closer, however, the dancer figured out what the real issue was.

He _liked_ Armin Arlert, and not just as a friend. He kept it to himself, just as he tried to keep his attraction to Mikasa to himself. He listened attentively to Armin's instructions as he read aloud to the school teacher, doing his best to pronounce each word properly.

"That's _'impetuous'_ ," corrected Armin gently when Eren stumbled over a word. He smiled. "Not _'impotent'_."

Eren looked again, mouthing the word he'd pronounced wrong. He flushed and he chuckled softly. "Oh. That makes a lot more sense. I wondered why this guy's boss would tell him to stop being so impotent. Talk about over-sharing with an employer, huh?"

Armin laughed as well, nodding. "It's okay. It can be easy for the eyes to play tricks on us sometimes and make us see the wrong word. I do it too, sometimes."

"I don't believe you," huffed Eren. "Your literary skills are perfect."

He kept his finger on his spot in the book, and he felt a little proud of himself for graduating from children's books to the young adult genre. The words were getting harder to read and understand, but Armin was always quick to explain definitions to him whenever Eren had questions.

"Believe it or not, Eren, I make typos and reading mistakes all the time," Armin assured him. "Being in the educational field doesn't make my skills infallible. Here, let's put this material aside for a bit and switch to the newspaper, okay?"

Eren book-marked his spot with a nod, and he stared at his friend as Armin unrolled the newspaper and spread it out on the table, turning it to face the dancer. "Would you like a drink before I start? I just realized I haven't offered you anything."

"I'm fine for now," assured Armin. He pointed out an article he'd circled. "Start with this one, okay?"

Eren bit his lip, and he concentrated on the text he'd been instructed to read aloud. He felt Armin's gaze on him, but he completely missed the smitten look that crossed the blond's features for a moment. He slowly read through the entire article, stammering now and then when a big word came up. It was about the local pet shelter promoting stray adoption. When he finished, he looked up from the paper at Armin.

The beta male was staring at him intently. Eren wondered if he'd mispronounced a bunch of words and Armin was just trying to think of how to break it to him kindly. "How was that?"

Armin blinked, straightening up in his chair. "That was good, Eren. Excuse me, I was just thinking that a drink might be nice."

"Sure." Eren scooted his chair back and got up, heading for the fridge immediately. "I picked up some of those apple ciders you like. Do you want one of those, or something without alcohol?"

"Actually, the cider would be perfect," Armin told him. "Thank you. I think it's late enough in the day to have one or two. Oh, I have a phone call coming in. Excuse me for a moment, Eren."

"No problem." Whistling softly to himself, Eren popped open one of the apple ciders, and he got a chilled glass from within the freezer to pour it into. For himself, he grabbed a beer. He paused in twisting the top off of it when he heard Armin speak a name that immediately caught his attention.

"Oh hi, Mikasa! No, it's not really a bad time. I'm tutoring someone right now, but we're taking a small break."

Eren stiffened, his eyes widening. "Mikasa?" he mumbled, thinking he'd misheard. Surely he had. Why would Armin be hanging out with someone in the mafia after he'd reacted so strongly and gotten so worried when finding out the new owner of Eren's place of business was a mafia boss? That name wasn't a common one, though. The raven-haired alpha female was the first person he'd ever met who went by it.

"Has to be a coincidence," he whispered.

Eren picked up the drinks, and he walked back to the table where Armin was sitting and chatting on the phone. The blond gave him a smile of thanks as Eren set his drink down before him, and he went on speaking with the person on the other line.

"Friday? Yes, I think I can do that. We've gotten past testing season and next week will be Fall holidays, so I have nothing to keep me working late. Oh, you pick this time. I chose the last one we went to."

Eren strained his ears, trying to hear the voice responding to Armin on the other line. He thought it sounded feminine, but it was too faint to tell if it was the same Mikasa he knew.

"That sounds great," Armin said. "We'll catch up tomorrow on picking a time. I've got to go now and get back to tutoring, okay? I'll call you during lunch tomorrow. Goodnight, Mikasa."

Noticing Eren's curious stare as he hung up the phone and replaced it in his blazer pocket, Armin regarded him with a faintly apologetic look on his face. "Sorry for the interruption. That was an old friend calling about our movie night. We try to go to the cinema together twice a month to see a film. It's kind of our tradition."

"Oh." Eren wondered if they were dating, and he was powerfully curious to find out if Armin's Mikasa was the same person he knew. "That's funny; I know a Mikasa too."

_~And I wonder why you would be spending time with her, if you think people in the Mafia are so dangerous.~_

"Do you?" Armin looked just as surprised as Eren felt. "What a small world. That's an unusual name."

"Yeah, it is." Eren hesitated for a moment. "What does your Mikasa do for a living?"

"Oh, she's a trainer at a local gym," answered the blond. "Yours?"

Eren wracked his brain, realizing he couldn't just blurt out that she was in organized crime. Obviously his Mikasa couldn't be the same one Armin knew. "She's uh...a tax collector."

"I see." Armin set his drink down. "How funny, that we both know someone named Mikasa."

Eren relaxed, and he nodded. He didn't get the feeling that Armin was involved romantically with this friend of his by the same name as the lovely alpha female he was thinking of, and that made him feel a little better. Not that he planned to make a move on Armin, but somehow it comforted Eren to think of him as single and available.

* * *

September was the month that Erwin Smith's situation with the club and Levi started to intensify in ways that he wasn't completely prepared for.

"Hange, I'm on my way to the club," Erwin said over the phone after answering it. "What do you need?"

It was a Friday night, and he knew Levi would be there. He hadn't had the chance to stop in all week long, and he was eager to see him again and mark him. Getting called just as his driver turned the corner of the street the Omega Experience was on annoyed him.

"Going to see your surly little honey?" guessed Hange in an amused tone. "Don't worry, it's not an emergency. I just wanted to let you know I've got money to drop off to you this weekend. The pharmaceuticals have had a good week since the Fall season is starting. Lots of buyers are after the antibiotics, thanks to the flu going around and causing lung infections."

"That's good to know." Erwin thought of something that Levi had recently said to him in one of those rare moments when the omega confided in him. Like the other dancers, he was sterilized. Unlike the others, it had been Levi's choice to have the procedure done. "Hange, do you know if it's possible to reverse a sterilization procedure in an omega male?"

"That depends on how it was done," she answered. "The most common one isn't dissimilar to tying a woman's tubes. Why, do one of our dancers want to try and have a baby? I hope not. Both Levi and Eren pull too much money in to take maternity leave."

"As far as I know, neither of them are in a hurry to reproduce. Eren isn't dating anyone and Levi..." he trailed off, unsure of how to finish that sentence.

"Levi's got the super bachelor of Trost hogging him up," Hange obliged. Erwin could hear the smirk in her voice. "Okay, so why are you asking me this, then?"

"Curiosity," answered the boss. "I know you've said that it may be possible to reverse it for the girls, but you never said anything about the boys. Mention of the medication sales inspired the thought, I suppose."

"I see. So it isn't because you're thinking of changing your ways and settling down with a certain black-haired little hellion?"

"Hange..."

"I know, I know." She chuckled. "No mate or family for you. I couldn't resist teasing a little. Oh by the way, have you banged him yet?"

"Not that it's your business, but no." Erwin resisted a sigh. God, he would love to have been able to answer yes to that question. "What about you? I know you've been courting Petra rather heavily."

"I have my fun and like to get her something nice once in a while," answered Hange, "but she's too sweet for the likes of me. I take care of my needs myself, though I'm seriously considering hiring someone to do it for me. A girl gets lonely."

A little surprised that Hange hadn't gone for it with Petra yet, Erwin shrugged. "You and I aren't so different, it seems."

"Apparently not," Hange agreed. "Well Erwin, enjoy your dance. Let me know what day and time works for you, and I'll drop off your cut of this week's profits to you."

"I will. Goodnight, Hange." Erwin ended the call. He had no fear of any authorities listening in on his private conversations with his people. Hange saw to it that every business cell was tightly secure, and nobody discussed business on their personal phones.

Nile pulled the car to a stop in the parking lot, and he lowered the privacy divider to speak to Erwin. "We're here, sir. Do you want me to wait for you, or would you rather call me when you're ready to be picked up?"

"Take the rest of the evening off, Nile. I can get a ride from someone later, or I'll call a cab. Enjoy your weekend."

"Thanks, boss. Have a good night."

Erwin stepped out of the car, and he watched as it pulled away. He started for the back entrance of the club, which he always used to avoid standing in line to get in, but then a chill of warning went up his spine. He felt eyes on him, and they weren't friendly. His interactions with the syndicate members that Kenny once owed money to weren't exactly amicable. It had taken some muscle to get them to loose their hold on the club and its previous owner. Erwin and his family had basically bullied theirs into taking the payoff for Kenny's debt, because they'd also had their sites set on the club and had been preparing to move in on it and take it from Kenny.

The threat issued to him that he would regret crossing them loomed large in Erwin's mind as his danger sense flared. He looked around at the dark street, looked up at the windows of the buildings near the Omega Experience, looked into the dark alleys between them. He saw a glint, and then a shadowed figure jumped out from the alleyway nearest to him. Erwin dodged as a knife flashed in the light of the street lamps, narrowly avoiding getting stabbed. He started to reach for the gun he kept concealed on his person, but then there was suddenly another figure between himself and his ambusher.

It happened so fast that his mind barely had the chance to register what was going on. He heard a crunch as the second figure's leg swung out and up, delivering a kick to the attacker's knife hand. The man groaned and doubled over, grabbing what was now undoubtedly a broken wrist. The knife went spinning away and clattered to the pavement, and Erwin recognized Levi between him and his assailant. The dancer moved with startling speed and grace, snatching the knifeman's arm, dropping to the ground and kicking up with both feet. The assailant went flying, flipped over and onto his back. Levi jumped nimbly to his feet, kicked the other guy in the ribs until he was curled in a fetal position, and then jabbed him in the throat with a quick strike of his hand.

Now choking as well as winded, the attacker was helpless. Levi kicked him in the temple, knocking him out cold. The omega's breathing was calm as he stood over his vanquished prey, staring at him for a moment before tilting his head back to look at Erwin. Levi's silvery gaze seemed almost reflective for a moment, and then his eyelids drooped lower in a lazy manner, hooding them.

"You're getting too predictable," stated Levi. He nudged the unconscious guy with his boot. "This guy was waiting for you. Saw him skulking around back here when I came out for a smoke break. Kept an eye on him because it was obvious he was waiting for someone. Knew you'd be showing up tonight."

Erwin's hand was still on his gun. He hadn't even had the chance to flip the safety off. He withdrew his hand from inside of his blazer, staring at Levi with some awe and a hint of consternation. He hadn't even seen where the dancer had come from. He hadn't even smelled him before the guy tried to jump him and Levi just appeared from out of nowhere. It was humbling, but a little unsettling. If Levi was this deadly, then how in the world was Erwin managing to pin him up against the wall and mark him each week without suffering broken bones for his efforts? Erwin also thought he saw that strange gleam in Levi's eyes that he'd noticed a couple of times before, and he blinked. He couldn't just be romanticizing the silver-gray of the omega's eye color; he could have sworn he'd seen that same flash in Kenny's eyes a couple of times, too.

"What are you, some sort of ninja?" blurted Erwin. He'd seen only one other person move like that, and she shared the same surname as Levi.

"Tch." Levi reached into the breast pocket of his gray button-up shirt, and he produced a pack of cigarettes. He lit one up, and he nodded at the beaten-up, unconscious man lying at their feet. "So what do you want to do? Call the cops?"

Erwin shook his head, his gaze dropping to his would-be assassin. "I don't want police involvement in this. Even if it wouldn't cause trouble for me, they would only see it as a dispute between rival gangsters. They would probably be glad to see me dead, in fact."

"Suit yourself." Levi blew a trail of smoke, turning his head so that it didn't drift towards the blond. "We can't just leave him all fucked up behind the club like this, though."

"No," agreed Erwin. He reached for his business cell. "I'll call for someone to collect him and see what they can get out of him, when he comes too."

"What'll happen to him?" Levi asked, his expression blank.

Erwin met his gaze with an equally blank expression. "Don't concern yourself with that."

Levi said no more about it, obviously worldly enough to know the guy wasn't likely to make it out of this alive.

* * *

He invited Erwin into the office, once Hange showed up with Connie and Oluo to dump Erwin's assailant into the back of a van and take off with him. He poured the alpha a glass of brandy, aware of his drink preferences by now. Erwin kept staring at him, and Levi's pulse quickened. He blamed it on adrenaline, but that icy, branding stare of the alpha's always made his stomach do a little flip.

"So are you all right or what?" Levi finally asked, pouring himself a drink as well after handing Erwin's over to him.

Erwin relaxed, leaning back in the couch and draping his left arm over the back of it. "I'm fine. I've had closer calls than this."

"Can't believe the dumb fucker went after you with a knife," Levi muttered. He sipped his drink, and he sat down next to Erwin on impulse. He shook his head, and he smirked a little. "He didn't even have any skills. Didn't even know the proper way to hold a knife like that and he just lunged blindly at you. I don't know how he expected that to end."

"He's young," reasoned Erwin. "Maybe he was trying to make a name for himself. It's also possible that he was simply a common mugger that mistook me for an easy target."

Levi gazed at him from over the rim of his glass as he had another swallow of his drink. "He came close to getting lucky. You seemed pretty distracted."

Erwin didn't take his eyes off of him. "I admit that my thoughts were in a very specific place, Levi."

Levi lowered his glass, and his heart thumped harder. "So I guess you plan on marking me again while you're here."

Erwin nodded slowly. "Yes."

Levi couldn't decide how to feel about that candor. Resentment was harder to cling to with each of Erwin's visits, especially when it ended in scent marking. He felt like he was starting to lose his edge.

"What if I don't feel like letting you?" He downed the rest of his drink, grimacing a little at the burn. Straight tequila wasn't something he usually imbibed in, preferring to have it in a cocktail.

Erwin smiled quietly, confidently. "After seeing what you can do in a fight, I think it's safe to say you would have stopped me long before now if you really wanted to."

"Yeah?" Levi sat back, daring the bigger man with his eyes and his body language. "Maybe I saw an advantage to it at first. Other alphas keep their distance when they smell your scent on me. That's a plus."

He lowered his head a little, intensifying his stare on the mafia boss. "Maybe I don't think I _need_ that advantage anymore, though."

Fuck. He was flirting with him. He was practically daring the man to shove him down and rub his scent all over him. The thought of it made Levi hot against his will. He'd been telling himself that he wasn't going to give in to this guy, wasn't going to allow Smith to charm him and have his way. So far, he'd failed to keep that vow at every turn. His knees went weak every time, Erwin's hard, strong body came into contact with his. He'd started to get used to the man's earthy scent constantly mingled with his. He even missed it when it started to fade, and as frustrating as Levi was with himself for it, part of him even looked forward to being pinned down and marked again.

That was the problem. Levi liked assertive partners, and he admitted that he was curious to feel what it was like to be with a strong alpha male like Erwin. The scent that had been clinging to him since Smith started marking him only intensified those desires. Sometimes the dancer wondered if it was going to consume every drop of willpower he had left in him. The thrill of danger he got from being around this man excited him, too.

"So what are you waiting for, creep?" whispered Levi. "Give it your best shot."

Erwin leaned forward, set his drink aside on the side table, and he got up. Levi's brows pinched with brief confusion as the alpha walked over to the office door, and he almost asked him where the hell he thought he was going. Erwin twisted the dead bolt and put the chain on the door, answering Levi's question of what he was up to. He turned to face the omega, and the intensity in his gaze made a shiver of anticipation race through Levi from head to toe. The dancer didn't move as Erwin came back to the couch. His fingers went slack around the cool glass he was holding when Erwin reached out to take it from him, setting it next to his own unfinished drink.

"Could it be that you're warming up to me?" Erwin reached out to caress the right side of Levi's face.

"Or maybe I'm setting you up for failure," countered Levi. His body started to heat up, reacting to the moment and Erwin's nearness.

Erwin smirked, and he leaned in slowly to murmur into Levi's ear. "Do you know I masturbate sometimes when you dance for me? You get me so worked up, I can't help myself."

That news was ridiculously alluring to Levi. He swallowed, and his pale cheeks started to flush. His groin tightened in his pants, and he began to imagine Erwin Smith sitting there in that booth, exposing himself and stroking off to Levi's dancing. He wondered what sort of face Erwin made while in the throes of sexual pleasure. He wondered what kind of sounds he made.

"Do you ever think of me when you masturbate, Levi?" purred the alpha. His lips closed around the cross earring dangling from the lobe of Levi's ear, tugging gently at it. His breath was warm and moist, tickling the sensitive flesh. "Don't tell me you never indulge yourself. I know you have desires. The evidence presses against me each time I mark you."

"B-bastard," gasped Levi, his composure weakening further. "Pervert."

"I prefer to think of myself as a man with a healthy libido and good taste in omegas," corrected Erwin. He pushed Levi down onto his back, wedging his hips between the dancer's thighs. He began to rub against him, starting with brushing his wrists against Levi's neck to activate both their scent glands in those places. His lips delivered moist, sensual kisses along Levi's jaw. "You aren't even putting up a struggle."

Some last sliver of sense and pride returned to the aroused little omega, and he bucked against Erwin. His coordination was off, though. Erwin was right; he wasn't really even trying. The lame imitation of a move to dislodge the alpha ended up as more of an invitation, and Levi's hips began to undulate before he knew what he was doing.

"Shit," panted the omega. He could feel Erwin's big, hard package grinding against his. Levi shut his eyes, feeling dizzy with lust.

Erwin dragged his hand down after marking Levi's throat thoroughly, and he easily ripped open the omega's shirt. Designed to be easily stripped away, the Velcro lining the inside of the material gave immediately, and Levi's chest was bared. It rose and fell quickly with the omega's excited breaths, and Levi went still with shock when Erwin hunched his back and lowered his mouth to the left nipple to suck on it. The burst of sensation pulsed through Levi's body, and his fingers slid into Erwin's golden hair. It occurred to him that he hadn't been with anyone for a good while. He'd forgotten how good it felt to have his nipples stimulated by another.

"Thought...you were gonna mark me," panted Levi, tugging Erwin's hair a little in a half-hearted attempt to pull him off, "not suck my tits."

Erwin had never done this to him before. Kissing and frottage during the marking was as far as it usually went. Levi shuddered when the alpha transferred his mouth to the other nipple to give it the same treatment, and his fingertips played with the one he'd been sucking on before.

"Mmm, consider it a bonus for us both," murmured Erwin between sucks and licks. He looked up at Levi's face, watching his expressions as he pleasured him. "You're beautiful. I've been wanting to do this for a while, now. Have you any idea how badly I want you, Levi?"

That seemed like a trick question to the omega, simply because he could completely relate to Erwin's feelings. His breath caught as the alpha resumed licking and sucking at his nipples one at a time, and stimulating them with his fingers as well when he wasn't rubbing his wrist over the skin. If this kept up, they were going to end up fucking right there in the office. The warning rise in Levi's body temperature was worrisome as well. It was a possible sign that he could be going into heat, and if that happened, he might end up in the very situation he'd told Eren he intended to avoid at all costs. He didn't have to worry about getting pregnant, but a pair bonding could still occur, tying him to Erwin in a link that could only be broken by death.

"Wait," rasped Levi, starting to panic at the thought. He had to have some control over his own life. He couldn't let this happen—at least, not without taking measures to ensure he didn't go into heat. Yes, he wanted to fuck Erwin Smith. He couldn't deny that any longer. He didn't want to be mated to him, though. "Erwin, stop."

To his relief, the alpha did stop. He released Levi's nipple with a wet pop, and he adjusted his position on top of him to stare down at him questioningly. He was breathing just as heavily as the dancer, and his handsome face was flushed as well.

"I have protection," offered the alpha softly. "Alpha condoms. I keep them on my person just in case, if you're worried about that."

To his chagrin, Levi realized he hadn't even been thinking of protection. Smith probably did get a lot of tail, but he struck Levi as the sort of guy that would get checkups regularly. Getting an STD from him hadn't even been a concern that crossed Levi's mind, and that was odd considering how tight the dancer's screening process was with clients that requested sexual favors from any of his dancers.

"That's not it," explained Levi, trying to catch his breath and stifle the overpowering need he felt. "I mean, that's not the kind of protection I'm worried about."

Erwin studied him, obviously struggling with his urges as well. "Then you aren't rejecting me?"

Levi licked his lips. He _should_ be rejecting him. He should put a stop to this. He hadn't been laid for so long though, and lately Erwin Smith was the only person that sprang to mind when he got horny. Why shouldn't he treat himself a little? He just had to be sensible about it and not let his omega drive make him reckless.

"I have to take something first," Levi answered, "and I don't want to do it in the office. The last thing I need is for Kenny to come back and figure it out. I get enough shit from him as it is, even though he's stopped fucking with me during work hours."

"I understand," assured Erwin. "You want to take a suppressant first, I presume?"

"Yeah." Levi flushed, looking away. "It's nothing personal."

"No, I'm glad that you thought of it." Erwin sighed, and he bowed his head. "I certainly didn't consider that precaution."

Levi almost reminded the man that he'd made it fairly clear that he intended to make him his omega, but he had the sense not to poke the bear and give him any ideas. He didn't trust himself to be able to resist if Erwin got the bright idea to keep going and try to coax his body into heat. He wasn't going to underestimate the man's ruthlessness.

"Okay, get off me," demanded Levi. "I need to calm down and get it out of my desk."

Erwin complied, grimacing in discomfort as he took his weight off Levi and sat back on the couch. Levi looked down at the alpha's crotch, saw the size of his bulge and shivered. "Fuck, you've got to be huge. Looks like that thing's about to split your pants open."

Erwin looked down at himself, and he shrugged. "I think I need a few moments to calm down, too. While you're doing that, I'll make a hotel room reservation."

Levi's brows went up as he sat up and closed his shirt. "What, you want me to just take off to fuck you? I've got work to do here and I'm a manager. We can use the VIP room or a private booth."

Erwin gazed up at him levelly as the omega stood up. "Who owns this venue now, Levi? Also I should warn you that once I start, I'm not likely to stop for a good while."

The omega went still for a moment. Erwin wasn't likely to pick some sleazy, bedbug ridden motel to do this in. He had too much class for that, and a suite did sound a lot better than his ideas. Levi didn't have any more dances scheduled for the night either, and Kenny would be back soon enough to take over management.

"Tch, fine. I know it's about as sexy as a wet blanket, but I'll need to wait about an hour after taking the suppressant, just to be safe. You okay with that?"

"Levi, I've waited this long," Erwin stated dryly. "If I could hold back while marking you every week, I can endure one more hour of waiting."

Levi nodded, and he went to his desk and got out his keys. He unlocked the top drawer and he rummaged around in it for a couple of the sealed syringes he kept in there. One he put aside to bring with him just in case things went long enough to warrant a second dose, and the other he opened up. Erwin's brows shot up when the omega lifted his shirt, pinched his side and administered the injection like an insulin shot.

"Works faster this way," explained Levi, mumbling around the cap he'd pulled free with his teeth. He'd stopped bothering with the pill form when they came out with the injection option. "We could probably do it after a half hour, but..."

"We can wait the hour," Erwin soothed, fiddling with his phone to find a suitable hotel to book a room at. "I want you to feel safe, Levi."

The omega didn't know how to respond to that. It was a chivalrous gesture on Erwin's part, but rather ironic considering that the man hadn't given him much of a choice when he marked him with both his teeth and his scent. He'd made a good point earlier, though: Levi probably could have stopped him. He hadn't. Granted, Erwin had taken him by surprise, but Levi had the reflexes and strength to contend with an alpha's power. He stared down at the unopened suppressant syringe as Erwin started making calls, first to book the hotel room and then to call a cab.

"Hey, I'll follow behind you on my motorcycle," Levi said mechanically, thinking he shouldn't do this without his own ride and a quick means of escape if anything went wrong. "I'd offer to have you ride with me, but I've never taken a passenger as big as you. Can't promise your weight won't throw off my balance."

"Are you sure?" Erwin looked up at him, apparently on hold with the hotel he'd chosen. "I could drop you back off here tomorrow to pick it up, save you some fuel."

_~Tomorrow? So he wants me to spend the whole night with him. We'll see.~_

"I'm sure. I don't like leaving my bike here overnight. Last time I did that, some asshole broke into my side compartments and stole an expensive pair of shades and some other shit."

"I see. All right, then."

Erwin paused the conversation to speak with someone on the other line. "Yes, I would like to book a suite for the night, if you have any vacancies. Credit, please. The name is Erwin Smith." He smiled. "Yes. I thought your voice sounded familiar. How are you, Christina? Good, good. Yeah, my usual suite would be fine. I'll be ordering my usual breakfast in the morning. Make it for two, please. It will be the same card I always use, thank you. You too, Christina. Have a good evening and I'll see you soon."

Levi stared at him as Erwin ended the call and began to dial the taxi company. "How much do you stay at this place you're taking us? Sounds like you're a regular."

"I don't like to conduct business with anyone save my people in my own home," explained the alpha absently, "so I do frequently book a suite at this hotel. It's about a fifteen minute drive from here. I'll text you the address just in case we get separated by traffic."

Levi couldn't resist a small smirk. "Don't want to lose me, huh?"

Erwin met his gaze, and he answered in a seductive, low drone. "Definitely not."

Levi felt another pleasant little tremor sweep through him. He really hoped that he wasn't setting himself up for disappointment. He waited for Erwin to finish ordering the cab, and then took up his spare dose of suppressant and slipped it discreetly into his sleeve. It wouldn't be a good idea to wander around the club with a syringe visible in his hand. People would assume all kinds of things.

"You go out first," suggested Levi, unlocking the office door. "I've got to let people know I'm taking off, grab my change of clothes and get a couple things out of my locker. I'll meet up with you out back by my bike when I'm done."

"All right." Erwin started to walk to the door, but he paused as he got close to Levi. He turned to him, put his arms around him and lowered his mouth to his for a deep, mind-blowing kiss. They were both a little breathless when he pulled away to regard the omega. "Don't stand me up, Levi."

Levi watched him go, and he cursed under his breath once the door closed behind Erwin. He had a fucking boner again.

* * *

-To be continued


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the kudos and the feedback so far! I try to respond to most of them individually, but my schedule is a little whack right now, so I'm a bit slow.

Erwin was a bit puzzled when Levi came out with a small backpack, which he put into one of the side compartments of the motorcycle. He didn't ask him about it, and he kept an eye out when the taxi picked him up to be sure Levi was keeping up behind them on the way to the hotel. He was very excited about this. He hadn't expected it, honestly. Levi was such a stubborn creature, and Erwin thought he would have to work at it longer than this to convince him to sleep with him. They pulled up at the Benedict hotel, and Erwin paid the taxi driver while Levi parked his motorcycle. The alpha waited for his companion, and he admired the sight of Levi walking toward him in blue jeans, a black crew t-shirt and black oxfords. A spiked leather belt lent an interesting bit of flare to the casual ensemble. Levi had his backpack slung over one shoulder.

"I know this place," remarked the dancer as he joined Erwin and walked through the main entryway with him. "We threw Petra a birthday party here one night last year. You've got some expensive taste."

Erwin considered how many private dances he'd enjoyed from Levi so far. He could have gotten them for free, but he'd paid Levi his full cut for the service each time. "I suppose I do."

Erwin frowned a little, realizing that his obsession with this man was helping Levi to reach his financial goals all the sooner. How much was that out of his pocket alone? It had to be around two-thousand by now. Not that he wanted Levi Ackerman to be trapped in this life and unhappy, but once he paid off his debt to Kenny, that was one less thing holding him back from leaving the Omega Experience.

"What's with the pensive face, all the sudden?" Levi watched him curiously as they approached the clerk desk to check in.

Erwin shook himself out of it, and he smiled at his companion. "It's nothing. I was trying to decide whether to order a bottle of champagne or not."

"You'd be drinking it alone," warned Levi. "I don't like champagne. Sucks when a customer picks the 'champagne experience'."

Erwin gave him a curious look, but seeing as they were in public, he chose to hold back on asking for details. Nobody had mentioned a "champagne" experience to him when he requested private dances from Levi. Now he wanted to know what that was all about.

"Hello Mr. Smith," called the clerk when Erwin rang the bell, and she came around from the other side of the polished, circular desk. "I have your suite all set up for you. Would you like room service tonight?"

"I...yes." Erwin nodded, suddenly stricken with an idea. "Please have the usual champagne chilled and delivered to my room, Christina. Thank you."

"Absolutely." The brunette woman smiled at him, gave Levi an interested look, and she pulled up the booking information on her computer. She typed something in, and she opened a drawer to fetch a couple of keycards. "Here you are, gentlemen. Please enjoy your stay!"

Erwin slid Levi's to him before pocketing the other keycard. "Thank you. Goodnight."

* * *

"So tell me," Erwin said once they arrived at his suite on the top floor of the building, "what exactly is the 'champagne experience', Levi?"

The omega shrugged, looking around as he set his bag on one of the armchairs in the living room area of the suite. "Customer pays extra to have me pour champagne all over myself while I'm dancing for them. It's pretty stupid, if you ask me. It's not like they get to interact with me while I'm doing it. All they can do is watch, and then I have to have a fucking shower afterwards. I really hate those requests."

Erwin imagined Levi spraying his naked body with the bubbly, imagined all that firm, toned musculature sparkling under the flashing lights. "I think I can understand the appeal, even if they can't come in there and lick it off of your body."

"That's disgusting," muttered Levi, but his cheeks pinkened tellingly in response to Erwin's candid statement. He busied himself with running a finger over surfaces in the suite and examining said finger each time.

"What are you doing?" Erwin asked.

"Checking for dust. For the price you probably paid for this suite, they'd better keep it damned clean."

Erwin covered his mouth with two fingers to control the twitching of his lips. He knew Levi had a thing for personal hygiene, but he didn't know he was this pristine. "So do you hate champagne because people ask you to pour it all over yourself, or is it the flavor as well?"

"A little of both, but to be fair it's usually the cheap shit they have me drench myself with. Part of the routine is to drizzle some of it into my mouth and lick my lips." He glanced at Erwin sharply, pausing in the middle of checking the top of the refrigerator for dust. "I'm surprised you didn't know that. They usually give clients a...well, a menu, I guess. There's a few things on there you can request...and why the fuck am I telling you this? Shit, now I'm giving you ideas. I can see it in your face."

Erwin's pants were starting to feel too tight. Pouring it into his mouth? Licking his lips? Yes, please. "I must admit, I never looked at the option sheet in my booth when booking your dances for me. I feel like a fucking fool for neglecting to do so. The 'champagne experience' certainly sounds intriguing."

Levi huffed a sigh. "That's why you told them to bring you up some champagne, isn't it?"

Erwin shrugged. "The thought of a demonstration did cross my mind." He smiled at Levi. "And unlike a client in a booth, I could lick it off of you."

"Didn't I just tell you that's disgusting?"

Erwin chuckled. "There's a very nice shower here, Levi. There's also a Jacuzzi in the bathroom. As you can see, the floors in this suite are tiled. Cleaning up afterwards would be simple."

Levi parted his lips, paused, and tilted his dark head. "Let me have a look at this bathroom."

Erwin perked up. Maybe he would get a champagne experience tonight, after all. He gestured toward the bathroom door. "Right in there."

Levi gave him a faintly wary look before walking over to the bathroom, opening the door and clicking the light on. Erwin came up behind him as the dancer investigated the luxury bathroom, taking in the jet shower, the separate Jacuzzi, the bidet, the fancy sink and the toilet. Levi checked the plumbing out, probably making sure the bowls were clean and the shower and bath had no mildew. He turned around to face Erwin, who was leaning against the doorjamb watching him.

"Well?" prompted the alpha softly. There was a knock at the door, followed by a man's voice announcing room service. "Think on it while I answer that."

Out of habit and common sense, Erwin checked his gun before going to the door and looking through the peephole. Seeing a familiar face from the hotel staff, he concealed his weapon and opened it. He stood aside as the room service guy came in wheeling a cart with a bowl of fresh fruit, napkins, glasses and a bottle of champagne chilling in a bucket on it.

"Here you are, Mr. Smith," said the man. "Will there be anything else tonight?"

"Not right now, thank you." Erwin tipped him generously. "Have a good evening."

Levi came out of the bathroom as Erwin pinched a grape and ate it. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll do it. One time good deal outside of a paid request."

Erwin smiled, and he popped the cork of the champagne. "The stereo is right there in the living area. I'll go and have a seat while you do whatever you need to do to get ready."

* * *

Honestly, this was the first time Levi had ever watched Erwin watching him dance. Every other time in the past, the blond was either off far from the stage where Levi couldn't spot him, or he was behind the mirrored glass of the private dancing booth. Now that he was seeing how intense those sharp blue eyes were on him, he felt his earlier arousal returning. He'd come to the hotel room in regular clothes, meaning no tear-away dancing outfit. He searched through the satellite stations until he found a suitable song with a slow, seductive rhythm to dance too, and he took his shoes and socks off before he got started. Seeing as this was a rather new experience in an unfamiliar setting, Levi kept his eyes on Erwin. In fact, he didn't think he could look away if he tried.

The color of Erwin's eyes were like glaciers to Levi, but that attentive gaze was very warm on him...practically scalding. It told Levi in no uncertain terms how badly this man wanted him. That made Levi feel powerful...sexy. He'd always approached dancing from a detached point of view, just part of a job he had to do to earn money. This time, there was no money being exchanged. He wasn't doing this as a job, he was doing it of his own choice. He was doing it to get an alpha that he wanted worked up and hot for him, and he was succeeding. There was no doubt that Levi was the only thing on Erwin Smith's mind.

Levi slowly and teasingly lifted his shirt, rolling his hips seductively as he bared his stomach to view. Erwin's gaze followed the rise of the material, settled on his abs with a sort of fascination. Levi flexed his stomach muscles tactically, making them ripple smoothly and showing off their tone. Erwin squirmed a bit, and he sipped the glass of champagne he'd poured for himself. The crotch of his pants rose into a tent. Yes, he was quite enthralled with the performance.

Levi tugged the crew shirt over his head, held it out for a moment, and then let it drop to the floor. He flexed and rolled the muscles on his chest and stomach as he rotated his hips, turning around to display his backside to the alpha. He tightened his buns and arched his back, giving Erwin a view of the curve of it and the play of muscles there. He'd been told he had nice shoulders and a handsome back. By the indrawn breath he could hear behind him from Erwin, it must be true enough. He bent over, splayed his hands on the floor and then slid his feet back over the cool tiles to lower himself upon them gracefully. He rolled over onto his back, met Erwin's eyes again and skimmed his hands down his body. Undulating his hips and bending his knees a bit, he started to unbuckle his belt. Erwin sat forward a little more with keen interest.

Levi got the belt undone, and he moved on to pop open the button of his pants and tug his fly down. He sinuously wriggled out of them, sliding them down and pushing them off the rest of the way with his feet. Now dressed only in his cross pendant and his briefs, he rolled to his feet and got up. Tilting his head back, he caressed his own body as he started lowering himself back to the floor, this time sliding down into a side split. None of the other dancers could manage the feat so completely and effortlessly as he did, though Petra came close. The splits were good to practice as a warm-up exercise, but it also worked to enhance a dance performance. Customers seemed to love watching him do it, too.

Erwin's chest rose and fell a little faster, his eyes caressing the defined stretch of muscles on Levi's inner thighs. "Aren't you limber," he murmured, just loudly enough to be heard over the music.

"Have to be," answered Levi casually. "A stiff dancer isn't very entertaining, and wouldn't make much in tips."

"I imagine you leave the stage covered in money." Erwin smirked. He picked up the bottle resting on the ice bucket on the floor, and he held it out meaningfully.

Without getting out of the splits, Levi leaned forward and reached for it. Erwin got off the couch for a moment to hold it closer to him so he could reach. He sat back down as Levi took it, and he crossed his legs as he watched the omega consider the sparkling beverage. Levi hesitated for a moment. He truly hated doing this, but he'd agreed to already, and if it drove Erwin mad with lust for him, then so much the better. He put a thumb over the rim to control the pour, and arched back, placing his free hand behind him on the floor. He trickled some of the champagne over his chest and stomach, careful not to get any on his briefs. A glance at Erwin assured him that he had the alpha's rapt attention.

"I suppose you want more?" Levi asked in a seductive tone.

Erwin nodded. "Yes. Much more."

* * *

Erwin felt like his pants were going to tear right open from the pressure of his arousal straining against the material. He couldn't take his eyes off the sparkle of Levi's fair skin, observing the way the drops rolled down his pecs and abs. What a glorious sight this omega was to behold. He couldn't think of anything more beautiful he'd ever seen. Levi then set the champagne bottle carefully aside on the floor, laid back and came out of his splits. He planted his feet on the floor and he lifted his hips, undulating them cajolingly as he hooked his thumbs into his briefs and slid them down. His cock sprang free, half erect and flushed. From his vantage point, Erwin got a lovely view of the dancer's plump balls as Levi bent his legs and rolled the underwear off.

Erwin's heart was thumping strongly, his blood singing in his veins as his alpha urges became heightened. _"Claim him"_ , said his instincts. _"Make him yours completely."_

There was nothing Erwin would have liked to do more at the moment, but Levi had taken a powerful suppressant to ensure that no permanent bond between them would occur tonight, no matter how long or often Erwin fucked him, even if the blond went into a rut—which Erwin suspected might just happen. His body had never reacted quite this way to anyone before. He usually took betas to his bed, as most alphas and omegas tended to until they found the mate they wanted to pair bond with. It was sensible and practical for both types to avoid going into a mating cycle and ending up bound as mates before they were ready. Erwin had bedded omegas before, but never while they were in heat and never while he was in rut. He'd never experienced a rut occurring just because he wanted someone.

Levi lay back with one leg bent, leaning on his elbow for support. He picked up the bottle and he started trickling more of it over his body, starting with his throat and gradually working his way down to his groin. Now damp and sparkling all over from the pelvis up, Levi raised the bottle to his lips, opened his mouth and poured some of the champagne into it. Some of it trickled out the corners of his mouth, which was likely done on purpose. He licked it away sensually, and then he closed his eyes and sprinkled more on his face. Drops of the golden liquid got in his raven hair, clinging to the shiny strands and glistening in the light.

Erwin got up. He couldn't take it any longer. With lustful purpose, he approached the prone omega and he stood over him, straddling him. Levi opened his eyes to gaze up at him with quiet questioning, and Erwin descended, pushing the dancer's knee down so that both his legs were lying flat on the floor. Erwin settled his weight on them, took the bottle from Levi and set it aside. He hunched over the curious omega, and he immediate scooted down so that he could begin licking the champagne off his body.

Levi's tight little form gave a jolt as Erwin sucked on his right nipple, and his supporting elbow slipped. He fell back on the floor with a gasp, and he rubbed his thigh against Erwin's bulge. "Thought you were kidding about licking it off of me," he breathed. Another little jolt made his body twitch as Erwin transferred his mouth to the other nipple to repeat his actions.

"Is it disgusting?" purred the alpha, voice dropping to a lusty tenor.

"It's not...so bad," admitted Levi. His back arched and he threaded his fingers through Erwin's hair as the licking and sucking resumed. "Shit, you're getting me wet."

Erwin smiled against the pebbled, pink nub he was nursing. "Good. I need you wet."

He changed his position, wedging his hips between Levi's thighs as he began to work his way down his body. The sweet and dry tang of the champagne seemed enhanced by the contact with Levi's skin. Erwin circled the dancer's navel with his tongue, and then he brushed his lips over the crisp, carefully groomed hair surrounding Levi's groin. The omega kept it short and neat, but not shaved off completely. Erwin appreciated that. When omegas removed all pubic hair, their scent had nothing to cling to down there and Erwin thought it dulled the experience. That scent was always stronger around the genitals, and it was always a pleasing one. He buried his nose in the fine black hair, inhaling deeply. He could smell the sweeter aroma of Levi's slick, and he slipped a finger between the dancer's buttocks to stroke the puckered hole there.

Levi's breath caught, and his fingers tightened in Erwin's hair as the alpha began to rub the slippery flesh in gentle circles. His thighs fell open further, and Erwin glanced up the length of his body to see a flush creeping up Levi's throat and cheeks. He knew what omegas liked, and he intended to take advantage of that knowledge to have Levi begging for his cock before he was done.

"Easy," murmured Erwin softly. He sucked the tip of Levi's now fully erect member, still massaging his tight pucker. He felt it clench, and more slick dribbled out. Levi's breath caught tellingly, and Erwin lowered his mouth further over his cock. Levi wasn't small, as some omegas tended to be. He was nicely endowed for his size, and that turned Erwin on even further. He was simply amazing to the blond...the perfect mate for him.

It was then that Erwin knew for certain that he really meant to go for it. He wanted Levi as his mate. He wanted him to be his omega, in every way. That might not happen tonight, but with time and patience, he was confident that the day would come. He just needed to catch Levi in heat, and he knew the dancer wouldn't resist him when he did.

Erwin started sucking Levi off, varying his technique to gauge the omega's reactions and find out what felt best for him. Once he figured out that Levi liked a lot of suction and slow movements, he employed that tactic diligently. The dancer's moans soon filled the air, and Levi's pelvis rolled encouragingly, synchronizing with the strokes of Erwin's mouth. Erwin's finger slid easily into the omega's entrance, and Levi shuddered with pleasure as he found the sweet spot and started massaging it.

"Gonna come," warned Levi after a while, panting rapidly. "Er...win...might want to...pull back or...hah...hah...nnnhh!"

He knew that Levi was trying to be considerate of him and not come in his mouth without warning, but he wanted to taste the omega's essence. Erwin kept it up, tempering his excitement to keep the rhythm steady. Levi started tossing his head, his hips jerking helplessly. Erwin splayed one big hand over the dancer's pelvis to keep him still, and he looked up at him as he felt Levi beginning to pulse in his mouth. He couldn't see anything of the omega's face except for the bottom of his chin, because Levi had thrown his head back. Erwin saw the his companion's pale throat working, and he glanced down and to the side to witness Levi's toes curling.

Then the salty-sweet rush of Levi's cum filled his mouth. Erwin readily swallowed, finding the taste delightful. Much more appealing than a beta male's release, anyway. He heard Levi's shaken groan of completion, and he smiled around the flesh in his mouth. He waited until the pulsing stopped before slowly releasing the softening length from his mouth, and then he stretched out on top of Levi to bestow soft kisses on his flushed face. Levi's eyes were closed, and his hands caressed Erwin's broad shoulders as he caught his breath.

"You're...better with your mouth...than I expected," panted Levi. He slowly opened his eyes and gazed up at Erwin, the steely color of his irises appearing a little brighter than usual.

"I take it you aren't accustomed to alphas taking their time with you," whispered Erwin.

Levi shrugged. "I've only ever been with a couple of them before, but you're right. They were both pretty eager to just stick it in as soon as they could."

Erwin retracted his finger from within Levi, who had loosened up sufficiently by now for them to move on to the next part. "While intercourse is admittedly my primary goal tonight, half of the experience is getting there." Erwin lowered his mouth to Levi's, kissing him softly on the lips. "It's very important to me that you enjoy this encounter, Levi. Otherwise, you may not be willing to fuck me again."

_~And I fully intend to leave you with such an impression that your thoughts will turn only to me, whenever you feel the urge to be with an alpha.~_

"Nicely put," approved Levi breathlessly. He undid Erwin's tie, and he started unbuttoning the alpha's shirt. "There's something I want to use when we do it, though."

"Hmm?" Erwin kissed the dancer's throat, and he lifted up a little to start undoing his pants.

"In my backpack," murmured Levi. "I need to get it out of my backpack."

Erwin reluctantly eased his weight off of the omega. "All right, go ahead." His groin was aching with unfulfilled need, and every whiff he got of Levi's scent made his cock twitch. Waiting a few more moments for Levi to retrieve whatever he was after was torture, but he didn't want to take him on the floor, anyway. Besides, he'd promised Levi a shower after his little champagne performance.

Levi got up, and he stumbled a little bit before catching his balance. Erwin watched him go to the backpack and squat down to unzip it. He admired the curve of his spine as he waited for Levi to dig around inside the backpack. When the dancer found what he was after and lifted it out of the bag, Erwin's brows furrowed a bit.

"A gag?"

Levi glanced over his shoulder at him, and he smirked. "No. A blindfold."

"I see." It was an ironic statement to make, considering the purpose of the long black scarf Levi was holding. "So you enjoy a bit of sensory deprivation during sex?"

Levi shook his head, and he stood back up with a little grunt. He approached the still-kneeling alpha with the item. "Not for me. For you."

Erwin was admittedly dismayed by the idea. He wanted to _see_ Levi while he was fucking him, wanted to see every bewitching expression of passion on that normally guarded face. "Couldn't we skip it the first time?"

"No. Do you want to do me or not, blondie?"

Erwin sighed, and he got to his feet with a nod. "Of course. I'll give you the privacy to take a shower while I turn the bed down and get undressed. I'm willing to try it, if it's what you truly want."

"The shower can wait," said Levi decisively. His hot gaze slid over Erwin's form, settling on his partly exposed, muscular chest for a moment. The omega then looked down at his own crotch, which was beginning to swell and lift again. "You've got me wanting to see if you're as good with your dick as you are with your mouth, Smith. We can shower afterwards, because I've got the feeling we're both gonna get sweaty."

Erwin's heart skipped a beat, and his groin throbbed again eagerly. "Then by all means, join me in the bedroom."

* * *

Levi did wipe down with a damp washcloth before coming into the bedroom with Erwin. The blond had already turned the bed down and stripped down to his trousers by the time Levi walked in. Levi took a moment to admire Erwin's built, powerful form. He reminded him of a lion in his golden splendor. The omega approached quietly, coming up behind Erwin as the taller man started to undo his pants. Levi curved his hands over the alpha's shoulders, before stroking them down over his back.

"Look at you," whispered Levi. Impulsively, he kissed Erwin's right shoulder blade. "I think I'd have been willing to do you a lot sooner than this, if it weren't for our circumstances."

Erwin turned slightly to look down at him. "You mean to say that if I'd been just the average client visiting your club, I could have had a shot sooner?"

Levi shrugged, lowering his gaze. "Maybe. The business arrangement put a different perspective on it. I'm also cautious, when it comes to alphas."

Erwin turned around fully to face him, and Levi stared at the sight of the man's cock protruding from the opening in his trousers. It wasn't even fully exposed yet, and he was more than a little impressed by the size of it.

"I think I went about making this business deal the wrong way, then," murmured Erwin. He cupped the omega's face in his large hands, coaxing Levi to tilt his head back to meet his piercing blue eyes. "If I'd known I could have gotten you in my bed sooner as a patron, I might have practiced a bit of restraint and waited to buy out the Omega Experience."

"Well, you've got me now," Levi stated a little dryly. "At least for tonight."

"Hmm, only for tonight," mused the blond. He stroked his thumbs over Levi's cheekbones, holding his gaze. "I doubt that will be enough for me, once I've had you."

Levi shrugged, and he traced a pattern over Erwin's broad chest. He had to give him credit; Erwin was built like a brick shit house. "Let's call it a trial run, for now. Maybe I'll be willing for more later, or maybe not. Better make it worth my time."

"Oh, I intend to," promised Erwin.

He put his arms around Levi's nude form, and he pulled him flush against his body. His lips descended to the omega's, soft, firm and assertive all at once. Levi felt a tremor go through him in response to the kiss. He couldn't remember ever having such strong reactions to a man before. It made him dizzy and weak in the knees. He didn't know if it was just because he hadn't been intimate with an alpha male for so long, or if it was purely due to his attraction to Erwin himself. Perhaps he was so responsive because of Erwin scent marking him. Whatever the reason, Levi found it a bit unsettling. Even more disturbing was the moan that vibrated in his throat.

"Wait," gasped Levi as Erwin backed him up against the nearest wall and pinned him to it.

"What is it?" Erwin's warm breath tickled Levi's neck, his lips softly brushing against the sensitive skin.

"Ease up," demanded Levi, struggling with his own powerful sexual drive. "Slow down a little."

He half expected his request to get ignored, because Erwin had already demonstrated that he was the sort of man to take what he wanted. Instead, the blond complied with Levi's wishes. He pulled back so that his hard frame wasn't wedged so tightly against the omega's, and he cupped Levi's chin. His lips covered the dancer's, and this time his kiss was gentle and slow, yet still insistent. Levi's racing pulse calmed a bit, and the unreasonable sense of panic he'd started to feel began to fade. Though Erwin hadn't given him much of a chance to protest when he'd scent-marked him, he seemed to be trying to respect Levi enough to give him control over the encounter.

That was a good thing, because Levi wasn't sure he would have gone through with doing this otherwise. He pushed against Erwin's chest, urging him to sit down on the bed. When the blond did so, Levi reached for the blindfold he'd brought into the room with them. He stood between Erwin's parted thighs as he lifted the cloth to the alpha's face. "Close your eyes."

Erwin didn't seem overtly pleased with the order, but he did as Levi wished. The dancer wrapped the blindfold around Erwin's head, securing it in the back. Satisfied that he'd tied it tightly enough, Levi reached down to fondle the tip of Erwin's erection. He smirked when the blond gasped softly, his hands settling on Levi's hips.

"Lie down," instructed Levi huskily. His pulse had quickened again with excitement, and he was glad that he'd thought to blindfold the handsome mafia boss before fucking him. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to control his expressions and reactions to feeling Erwin inside of him. Perhaps the next time—should Levi decide there was going to _be_ a next time—he would be able to retain more composure. The first time with a hot, well-hung guy was always exhilarating. If that guy also happened to know how to use his dick right, it was even more of a challenge for Levi to contain his passion.

"I hope you fuck as good as you kiss," whispered Levi. He was aching for him, wet and ready with slick to take the blond's cock into his body. The last vestiges of caution fled from him as his omega urges consumed him. Levi gripped Erwin's length, fisting his hand over the shaft. He kissed the blond deeply as he began to stroke him, climbing on top of him and straddling his thighs. Inspired, Levi squirmed down, and he lowered his mouth to the flushed, moist head of Erwin's cock.

"Shit," breathed Erwin, jerking a bit with surprise as the omega started sucking him off.

Levi smirked around the thick girth he was sucking on. He took Erwin deep down his throat, and he started swallowing. The blond's hands combed through Levi's hair, trembling slightly with the pleasure of his attentions. Erwin's head lifted off of the pillow, and his thighs tensed beneath Levi's stroking palms. He grunted softly, and he began to slowly roll his hips with encouragement. Levi nearly chastised him for thrusting into his mouth, but seeing as Erwin was being rather polite about it and not ramming it in, he let it slide.

Humming softly around the swollen flesh he was sucking on, Levi gripped the base of his companion's cock to prevent early arrival. He wasn't nearly finished with him.

* * *

Erwin panted roughly as Levi's attentions drove him to the very brink. He'd secretly wondered if the man's sweet little mouth would be capable of taking his length, and whether Levi was any good at blow jobs. How glad he was to have both questions answered so beautifully. Levi wasn't just good at sucking cock; he was exceptional. He kept his lips tightly sealed around the shaft, and if he had a gag reflex, he certainly wasn't demonstrating it. Erwin started to groan, breaking into a sweat. He was so damned close, but Levi wasn't allowing him to finish.

"Levi," gasped Erwin, tossing his head. "You'll kill me."

The suckling paused, and Levi withdrew to speak in a low voice. "If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't do it this way."

Erwin clenched his jaw, throbbing almost painfully in the omega's firm grip. His balls had tightened up and his dick was twitching. "I...agreed to let you have the reins," he said as evenly as possible, "but I can't promise to remember that...for much longer. God, you're so good."

Erwin's back suddenly arched and his breath caught as Levi's mouth closed around the tip of his sex and gave it a hard suck. He propped himself up on his elbows impulsively as the dancer then did something he was totally unprepared for. A sharp canine pressed against Erwin's urethra opening, sending a jolt through him that went clear to his toes. It was a new experience for the alpha, a bold move that most partners weren't brave enough to try.

"Fuck!"

"Shhh," advised Levi, his voice falsely soothing. Erwin could swear he heard a smile in his tone, but blindfolded as he was, he couldn't confirm whether Levi's expression matched his voice. "Don't jump. I wouldn't want to accidentally damage your junk."

Trembling, Erwin sucked in another sharp breath. He tried to be still as Levi repeated the action, stimulating him in a more intimate way than Erwin was prepared for. It was almost too much for him, and he started to growl with his efforts to resist the urge to flip Levi onto his back and fuck his brains out. The omega then sucked on Erwin's balls, one at a time. Beneath the blindfold, Erwin's eyes rolled back. The chords on his neck stood out in sharp relief as his body tensed all over, and he had no doubt that he would have been coming hard by now if Levi weren't depriving him of orgasm.

"I think you're ready for me," observed Levi after pleasuring him for a few moments longer.

"I've...been ready for you," gasped the alpha. He blindly slid his hands over Levi's toned shoulders, and then down. He explored the dancer's tight abs as he felt Levi shift above him, straddling him once more. Still gripping his aching arousal, Levi seated himself on top of Erwin, and he rubbed the slickened entrance to his body against the tip of the blond's cock.

"Tell me how bad you want it, Smith."

"I can't recall ever wanting anything so badly," obliged Erwin readily. At this point, he was willing to say whatever Levi wanted him to. His nostrils flared with his heavy breath, and he cupped the omega's hips. He felt Levi tug his pants down to fully expose him, but the dancer didn't bother removing them entirely. That set fine with Erwin; he was now in a desperate state of want. A familiar, primal thrill began to go through the alpha, and his body heat started to rise.

He was going into rut. It was as he'd suspected: his powerful desire for this omega was enough to make him go into a mating cycle even without heat pheromones to urge it along. He wanted to turn the tables, wanted to yank the blindfold off of his eyes so that he could watch Levi as he claimed him. Some semblance of logic yet remained within Erwin, though. He knew instinctively that if he gave into his alpha needs and took the control away from Levi, it would probably betray the tentative trust he'd gained from him and ruin his chances of ever doing this with Levi again.

"My self-control is starting to slip," warned Erwin, his fingers digging into Levi's hips.

"Not before I've had my way with you," insisted the dancer, and then his tight, moist warmth slowly started to engulf Erwin. There was a soft grunt of discomfort from the omega as he eased himself further down on the thick length, and Levi's hands pressed flat against Erwin's chest in a bracing manner. "Fuck, you're huge."

Erwin loosened his grip on Levi's hips, and he stroked the dancer's outer thighs. He held himself perfectly still beneath him, allowing the omega to take it at his own pace. Erwin moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue, and he tried to find words of encouragement to offer his companion. The only thing that came out of his mouth was a groan of bliss as he sank deeper into the other man's gripping heat.

"You're so...tight," moaned Erwin. That really shouldn't have come as a surprise to him, given Levi's small frame. He should have known he would have a tight little ass.

"Haven't had cock in a while," admitted Levi in a strained voice.

Erwin frowned. Hurting the dancer was not on his agenda. He started to reach for his blindfold to lift it up and look at him, but Levi's hand caught and held his, interrupting his action.

"Leave it on," insisted Levi.

Still confused over this unexpected kink of Ackerman's, Erwin squeezed the omega's hand. He knew Levi wasn't insisting on him wearing a blindfold because of any blemishes or imperfections on his body that he didn't want him to see. Erwin had already seen him naked many times, and he knew he wasn't alone in thinking the omega had one of the most gorgeous bodies on the planet.

Desperate to resist the fires of lust raging through him, Erwin decided to try and distract himself from his own libido. "What other...special things do you...do for your clients? Besides the champagne experience, I mean."

"Sometimes chocolate sauce," answered Levi breathlessly, "which is even more disgusting than the champagne." He eased further down on Erwin's cock, and then he lifted up until it was only in at the tip. He eased back down again with a little groan.

Erwin's pleasure at the feel of Levi's body milking him nearly blew away his thoughts over that statement. "Chocolate sauce?"

"Yeah. Mmm.." Levi started to rock slowly on top of Erwin, and the tightness around the alpha began to ease to a less painful level as his body adjusted to the blond's size. "Last week, we had one customer pay extra to have me and Eren drizzle the shit all over each other and lick it off each other. I usually...wouldn't do that routine...but he paid twice the rate to see it."

Erwin could vividly imagine Levi and his attractive fellow male dancer licking chocolate sauce off of each other's bodies. It both excited and troubled him. It wasn't exactly jealousy; at least, not the kind he would have felt if Levi had told him he let some alpha do that to him. "You and Eren...do the two of you ever have sex with each other?"

"No. It's not like that." Levi moaned softly, his hips rolling faster. "It's just an act. Nnh...you feel so damned good."

Erwin could no longer concentrate on thoughts of Levi putting on a show with any of his stripper coworkers. He couldn't think of anything now, except how amazing the omega felt around him. He felt it was safe to start moving, and he cupped Levi's ass and began to thrust beneath him. His lusty groans of pleasure soon mingled with the enchanting sounds coming from the smaller man. He stroked his hands up, and then around to the omega's frontside to caress his chest and abdomen. Erwin gently squeezed Levi's nipples when he located them with his fingers, and he was rewarded with a heady gasp of delight. He rubbed them with his thumbs, stimulating the tightened buds as Levi rode him.

"I...can't," Erwin gasped, at the end of his rope. He grabbed Levi's ass again, and he started lifting the omega up and dropping him down again, guiding his motions. Levi cursed raggedly, his breath catching as Erwin's hips pumped firmly.

"Oh God," Levi cried. His thighs started to tremble, and his hands clenched into fists against Erwin's chest.

Beyond the ability to maintain his calm now, Erwin demonstrated full use of his sexual skills. He allowed Levi to stay on top for a little while, but soon his rut was in full swing. He growled and he sat up, and then he pushed Levi onto his back and started taking him hard and fast. In some corner of his mind, he braced himself to be bucked off by the omega and told in no uncertain terms that the encounter was over with. Instead, Levi grabbed his ass encouragingly, panting raggedly against the alpha's chest and spreading his thighs wider. Levi squirmed beneath Erwin to angle his hips, and he yelled in response to the next thrust.

There. Erwin had him, now. He could tell by the body language and vocalizations that he was hitting the right spot, and he ruthlessly kept it up. He ducked his head to capture the dancer's mouth with his own, thrusting his tongue into it demandingly. Levi's cries were muffled in the kiss, and one of his hands dragged upwards from Erwin's ass. His fingernails dug into the blond's back, creating grooves in the skin. Erwin hardly felt it. He kept ravishing Levi's mouth as he drove himself into him again and again, groaning and grunting with pleasure.

"Shit," blurted Levi shakenly. "Ahh...shit!"

Were he not consumed by his rut, Erwin would have asked Levi if that was his favorite word. As it was, the only thing he could manage to say was the dancer's name. He called it hoarsely as he pumped, feeling his climax approaching rapidly. With three more hard, deep thrusts, Erwin buried himself firmly inside of his companion and he clenched his teeth. He bucked within Levi, helpless to hold back his completion. He heard a sound of shock escape Levi's throat as he knotted inside of him, pressing hard against his prostate.

Then Levi was coming, his legs wrapping tight around Erwin's torso. He was clenching rhythmically around the alpha's impaling length, and he embraced Erwin hard enough to drive the breath from his lungs. Levi's body shook, and he whimpered against the bigger man's chest. He almost sounded frightened. Could it be that he'd never experienced knotting before?

"It's all right," panted Erwin, kissing his omega's sweat-beaded forehead. "Is this...your first time to knot, Levi?"

Seemingly unable to find his voice now, Levi nodded confirmation. His climax continued even after he spurted out all he had to give. His rapid, shallow panting and helpless grunts were the only sound in the room besides Erwin's heavy breath. The alpha found himself smiling. He was Levi's first—at least in this particular experience. Erwin found it difficult to believe the sensual creature had never knotted with an alpha before, but Levi _had_ informed him that he was generally wary of alphas. To know that he'd managed to do something with the dancer that no other alpha had ever done before was ridiculously flattering.

Still deeply buried inside of Levi, Erwin sought out the omega's gasping lips for another kiss. "May I take the blindfold off now?"

"N-no," managed Levi, his lips wet with their mingled saliva. "Not yet...fuck, I c-can't stop coming!"

"I fail to see the problem," purred Erwin. God, he wanted to see Levi's face right now. He wanted to witness what the man looked like while in the throes of gratification, but a deal was a deal. Still, there was something a bit strange about Levi's determination to keep him blindfolded even now.

"What are you afraid of?" Erwin gasped. "What is it you...don't want me to see?"

"I just...like the blindfold," insisted Levi. "Ah, shit...I'm gonna...pass out..."

"No, you aren't," Erwin told him firmly. He kissed him again with attentive sensuality, lowering his voice to a husky drone in an effort to calm him. "Just breathe, Levi. Let it run its course."

Levi mumbled something decidedly filthy against Erwin's lips, and the strength of his hold on the alpha began to wane. He was shaking like a leaf by the time his climax finally slowed and stopped, and the swell of Erwin's cock returned to normal within him. Erwin resisted the urge to start thrusting again right away, attempting to give Levi the chance to catch his breath and recover from the experience. He kissed him several times, speaking soothing words to him. When the trembling eased up, Erwin resumed his lovemaking. Now that the initial, overpowering demands of his rut had been satisfied, Erwin was able to think more clearly and practice a bit more restraint. He rolled over, taking Levi with him, and he encouraged him to ride him again.

"Do as you like with me," urged the alpha. "Slow or fast, whatever feels best for you."

Levi rolled his hips without question, undulating on top of him smoothly. His pace was slow, epicurean. His breath caught with each motion, and he grabbed Erwin's hands in his, threading their fingers together. With parted lips, the blond matched his companion's movements and let Levi set the pace. The bed creaked with their writhing, and this time Erwin was able to last for longer. He gave Levi another orgasm before he came again, and he sat up once more to embrace the omega as he knotted with him again. Another slew of cuss words erupted from Levi as he again experienced a prolonged, hard orgasm. Erwin stroked his hair as he rode it out, again speaking soothingly to him.

It would be a handful of hours before Erwin was finished with Levi.

* * *

"Goddamn," breathed Levi when he and Erwin finally separated from each other. Lying on his stomach, the omega stared blankly at the wall. He couldn't even bring himself to care that he was lying in damp spunk. He'd heard that knotting was an amazing sensation. He'd always thought people exaggerated a bit when trying to describe how intense it was, but now he had his proof that they weren't just full of shit.

Erwin Smith definitely knew how to use his dick. Levi hadn't really counted on that. He'd been expecting disappointment, but he had underestimated the man's skills in the sack. Levi rolled onto his back, and he turned his head to look at his collapsed partner. Erwin still wore the blindfold, and he was panting just as hard as Levi. Feeling like it was safe enough now to remove it, Levi reached out to tug the blindfold up and off of Erwin's mussed blond head. In the dim lamp light, Erwin's blue eyes immediately focused on the omega. He propped himself up on an elbow, and he leaned over Levi to kiss him slowly.

"Well?"

Levi stared up at the bigger man with heavy-lidded eyes as Erwin broke the kiss and gazed at him expectantly. "Well, what?"

Erwin smiled. "Was my performance to your satisfaction, Levi? I'm eager to know if I have approval to do this again, sometime."

Levi swallowed. Honestly, that was the best sex he'd ever had. He couldn't deny it. This man was dangerous, though. He already had a hold on him unlike any Levi had ever experienced. Survival instincts screamed at the omega not to give in any further. He would never be able to break away from Erwin if he allowed himself to form a deeper bond with him, and Levi doubted he would be able to resist if he ever went into a heat and Erwin acted on it.

"You're a good lay," Levi finally said, almost grudgingly. "I figured you'd be the kind to just lay there and look pretty, but you actually know what you're doing."

Erwin traced Levi's pectorals with his fingertips. "So then you've no objections to sleeping with me again? Perhaps regularly?"

Levi hesitated. Sexual needs were a powerful motivation to ignore common sense and just indulge in hedonism. Orgasms like the ones Erwin had given him weren't being passed out like candy.

"You don't need to answer right away," said Erwin at last, when Levi didn't say anything. "I can be patient, Levi."

Personally, Levi wondered just how far that patience could extend. As Erwin had already observed himself, he was a far cry from the typical omega. Surely the man had some expectations that Levi hadn't the temperament to fulfill, and there were things about him that he wanted to keep to himself. Now wasn't the time to put serious thought into it, though. His thoughts were muddled and his muscles felt like jelly. In fact, he was going to have to cash in on a sick day tomorrow, because he was sure he would be in no condition to perform his usual kind of dancing.

"I'll think it over," murmured the omega, covering a yawn. He checked his watch—the only thing he still wore on his body besides his necklace and his earrings. When the backlit glow came on to reveal the time to him, his eyes widened a little. "Shit, you were pounding at me for nearly six hours."

"Not continuously," corrected Erwin with a smirk. He rolled onto his side and he pulled Levi close. "I did give you breathers."

Levi shut his eyes and sighed. Yes, Erwin did give him time to recover between fucking sessions. He'd been considerate throughout the entire encounter, always giving Levi the chance to take over without complaint. Levi could just imagine what it would have been like if he'd had a heat at the same time Erwin was in rut. They'd probably still be going at it, and they wouldn't have likely made it out of the hotel by checkout time.

Trying to put aside his reservations about letting things go this far, Levi allowed his exhaustion to put him into a deep sleep. It was probably the easiest sleep he'd had in a good, long while.

* * *

When Erwin woke up to the phone call from the front desk reminding him that checkout was in thirty minutes, he found himself alone in the bed. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, then looked around for any sign of Levi. He found his own pants neatly folded on the chair in the corner, but of his companion, there was nothing save Levi's lingering scent to indicate he'd even been there. Erwin got out of bed, put his underwear and pants on, and started looking around the rest of the suite. He was disappointed to find no Levi, and nothing of the dancer's was left behind. A look in the bathroom revealed that Levi must have gotten up early and snuck in a shower before leaving. There wasn't even a note.

Feeling somewhat pathetic, Erwin got his phone out of his blazer and he checked it for messages. There was one from Mike and two from Hange, but nothing from the dancer that had rocked his world the night before. Disappointment soon became a sick sort of indignant anger. He hadn't been asking for Levi's hand in marriage. He'd just made his intentions known that he wanted encounters like that to be available in the future. He wasn't exactly insisting on a commitment, at least not yet. Erwin himself wasn't the commitment sort...and yet he thought of Levi as _his_ omega. He couldn't seem to help it.

His first reaction was to shower, dress and go straight to the Omega Experience to find Levi and demand to know why he'd left without so much as a goodbye or a kiss. Erwin paused in the act of undoing his pants to get into the shower, and he realized what he was doing.

He was acting just like one of his previous conquests. How many times had he snuck out of a hotel room or someone else's apartment to avoid the morning after awkwardness? Most of them tried to call him afterwards too, and he'd had one woman practically stalk him for a year after sleeping with her. Was this what it felt like for them, when they woke up the next morning to an empty bed? Yes, Erwin always left some sort of gift like flowers, a nice breakfast or a bottle of good wine along with a note thanking them for a good time. Still, he was beginning to understand how much his hasty retreats might sting for the recipient of them.

At once, the mafia boss started to laugh without real humor. Nanaba had warned him that one day, his lechery was going to turn around and bite him on the ass. He guessed she was right, because of all the bed partners in the world, Levi Ackerman was the only one that had ever taken his breath away like that. There was really only one dignified solution to this: treat it as nothing more than sex, like he always did.

* * *

-To be continued


	6. Chapter 6

Levi didn't return to the club the next night for his usual shift. He had Eren cover for him so that he could get the chance to rest up and recuperate from the night before. He almost made it through dinner without getting a phone call from Kenny. When his phone rang and he saw his uncle's ID come up, Levi groaned. He nearly ignored the call, but he knew the stubborn bastard would just keep trying, and he would probably come to his apartment if he couldn't reach him.

"What?" Levi said without bothering to mask the irritation in his voice.

"You coming in today or what, kid?" Kenny asked on the other line.

Levi set his fork down. "No. Eren's going to cover my shift. I worked out last night and I'm too sore to pull off any special moves on the stage tonight."

"You've never let a little soreness stop ya from earning money before," mused Kenny. "I'd ask if you were coming down sick, but I know better. Have you eaten?"

Levi looked down at his plate of steamed broccoli and chicken. Beside the plate was a glass of red liquid; a protein mix he often made for himself with his meals. "I'm eating right now."

"Oh yeah? Who with?"

Levi narrowed his eyes. "Alone. Why do you care?"

It really annoyed him when Kenny took it into his head to try and monitor his diet. He was not like his uncle, willing to get what he needed at an unwilling party's expense. He had Eren to take care of his special nutritional needs when the alternatives weren't enough for Levi.

"Don't tell me you're skimping on your diet again, brat."

"I'm fine," snapped Levi. "I'm getting enough to eat, trust me. I'm just taking the night off for some rest, so stop fucking grilling me."

"Hmm, well if you say so." There was a shrug in Kenny's voice. "I was actually calling about an offer I've gotten. Actually, it's an offer _you've_ gotten, if you're interested."

"It better not involve sex," warned Levi.

"Nah, I already told the client you weren't available for that. He gets it. This is an escort job. How about it, Levi? You'll get your cut up front and you won't have to do any dancing. All you've got to do is show up on the guy's arm as his date for the night and make him look good in front of his peers. It's a business dinner, so the most you'll have to do is sit and look pretty. You know the pay is good."

Levi considered it. He could make almost twice as much on an escort date in one night as he did on the stage, with the exception of private dances. "What's his name, and is he beta, alpha or omega?"

"Trevor Fisher," answered Kenny. "You've taken care of him before, remember?"

Levi relaxed. Trevor wasn't a bad guy and he _had_ been on a couple of escort dates with him in the past. He was a beta as well, which sat easier with him. "All right. Am I meeting up with him somewhere, or is he sending his car to get me like the last time?"

"He'll be sending his car to pick you up at eight, so clean up and wear something nice."

Levi shrugged. That gave him two hours to get ready; more than enough time. "Fine. Tell him I'm in."

He hung up the phone, and he sat there staring at it with a little frown on his face for a while. Levi wasn't entirely sure going on an escort date with Trevor was the best idea. Erwin's scent was still all over him. Being the beta male that he was, Trevor wasn't likely to detect it. That was the only reason Levi had agreed to it. An alpha client would have picked up on it right away and that could be seen as an insult to them. While the few alphas Levi had as repeat escort clients never tried to scent mark him themselves, they might take exception to him showing up with another alpha's mark on him.

With that in mind, Levi's fingers pressed against his throat, where Erwin had branded him with his bite. It had healed up since then and was now fading to a pink scar, but without makeup or something to cover it, it was recognizable as a pair of teeth marks on his skin. Levi usually used makeup to conceal it before going on the stage, but seeing as he wouldn't be taking his clothes off tonight, he thought he could get away with using a cravat or wearing a high collar shirt instead.

He finished off his meal, grimacing a little at the tinny flavor of his cocktail as he gulped it down. He washed off his dishes and put them in the rack to dry before going into his bedroom to rummage through his wardrobe. Maybe a business date with pleasant enough company could take his mind off of Erwin Smith and the things the man had done to his body.

* * *

Petra came out on the stage for her first set once Ally finished hers, and she immediately recognized Hange Zoë watching her from the bar surrounding the stage. The alpha woman had procured herself a seat on the south end of the bar, where the stage went all the way out within reaching distance to the edge of the bar. The rest of the U-shaped bar had space between it and the stage for the bartenders to work. Jean and Farlan typically switched sides throughout the night to ensure neither of them got stuck serving poor tippers. Those patrons that weren't lucky enough to get one of the end seats had to extend their money tips out to the dancers using a grab stick.

Petra smiled and twirled around, feeling Hange's bespectacled gaze watching her every move. She hadn't seen her for a few days. She slipped off her shimmery butterfly themed, gossamer robe to reveal the partly transparent, beaded halter top and matching bottoms she wore beneath it. Purple, blue and pink beads sparkled and flashed in the multicolored light as Petra gyrated to the soft pop song playing for her dance. Hange was wearing a burgundy colored, loose top that fell off one shoulder, and she had a pair of big, gold hooped earrings in her ears. Around her neck she wore a gold chain and a pendant with some kind of medical symbol on it. Her handsome features smiled up at Petra as the dancer made her way tactfully over to the end of the stage, and Hange crooked a finger at her coaxingly.

Petra procrastinated just enough to tease, mindful to pay attention to other patrons as well and not just ignore them entirely. She had quite a few bills in the pouch she wore tied around her waist with a silver chain, by the time she delicately flicked open the fastenings on the front of her top and shrugged out of it. Her transparent strappy heels clicked on the stage as she sauntered over the rest of the way and knelt smoothly before Hange, who was now waving a pair of large bills at her for incentive.

Petra blinked when she saw that they were c-notes. Two hundred dollars for a little extra attention was nothing to brush off. The last time she'd gotten anything over a fifty as a tip from a single patron was months ago.

"I've been meaning to come and see you dance," Hange informed her over the music. Her gaze raked over Petra's half-nude body with appreciation, lingering on her breasts for a moment before meeting her eyes again. "I wish I had more time to linger, my dear."

Petra allowed Hange's tanned, long-fingered hand to slide the two bills directly into her hip pouch. The alpha's fingers grazed her thigh, whether purposely or by accident, and a pleasant tingle went through the dancer. "Are you enjoying it?" Petra asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"Oh, indeed I am," promised Hange. She boldly reached out to run her hands over Petra's knees and thighs, but that was as far as she went. Petra half-expected her to fondle her breasts—which was against club rules. She didn't. She withdrew her hands with a sigh, sipped her drink and nodded at Petra. "Dance your sweet little heart out, girl. I can at least stay through this drink."

Petra reached out to caress the other woman's face gently, before rising back to her feet and resuming her seductive dance. She saw Kenny come out and approach Hange, and the two of them spoke into each other's ears. Hange nodded, gave Petra one last, regretful look and got up to follow Kenny into his office. Hange must have come here tonight to collect profit reports; not just to see Petra. That was okay, but the dancer wished she could stay a bit longer so that she could talk to her for a while. She really liked Hange.

Focusing on her dance, Petra reminded herself that business was business. She untied her thong and shimmied out of it as her song neared its end. Someone hooted, and she got a ten thrust in her face on the end of a grab pole. She took it delicately between her teeth with a wink and a smile at the man who'd offered it, though both she and Levi generally didn't like to take money in their teeth. Once Levi explained to her how filthy currency actually was, she'd cut down on doing that.

"Oh shit," Petra heard Jean say, just as she was about to gather her clothes and get off of the stage. She looked up and followed his gaze to the front door, where three big, rough looking guys had come in and were apparently threatening Bertolt with some kind of weapon. Reiner was on break, so his fellow bouncer was alone in managing door security. Farlan quickly killed the music as yet two more big guys came in, blocking the way out for customers and staff alike. Petra recognized one of them; he'd been to the club in the past, and Kenny had set up a special session for him with Hitch—that she'd never gotten paid for.

 _~This can't be happening!~_ thought Petra as the apparent leader of the group grabbed Bert by the back of his neck, holding something beneath his jacket that Petra suspected might be a firearm.

"Keep dancing, sweetheart," ordered the man as Bertolt started to guide him through the bottom floor towards the office area in back. "People are paying you, right?"

Petra looked toward the door with wide eyes, her thoughts in a jumble. The other guys weren't actually doing anything; just standing there with their arms crossed over their chest. They even let a woman by to leave, so she could only presume they were there to stop any of the staff from leaving.

With no sign of Reiner or Levi or anyone else that might have been able to do something, Petra had no choice but to comply. She didn't exactly have a phone on her and she couldn't try to fight these guys with her bare hands. Levi had taught all of them a few self-defense moves, but these men were huge, and obviously alphas.

"Put some music on, kid," snapped one of the other two intruders following Bertolt, addressing Farlan. "You can't expect the girl to dance without any tunes."

Jean had started to reach into his pocket, and the thug gave him a sharp, warning look and a shake of his head. "No phone calls, punk. We're just taking care of some business with your boss, and then we'll be on our way."

"Stay here and keep an eye on them," said the leader.

The taller guy nodded, and he nudged between two bar patrons. "Fix me a drink, and make it a stiff one."

On the stage, Petra tried to calm her trembling and she resumed dancing as Farlan put on another song. She prayed that Eren was still in the dressing room and would not run into these guys. He would probably try to intervene, knowing him, and then he might get himself shot.

* * *

"So this week's profits are looking pretty good," Hange observed as she went over them with Kenny. "Do you have our cut ready?"

"Yeah, yeah." He got up and went over to the safe concealed behind a picture of a bare-breasted blonde girl in a red thong, lying in a suggestive position on top of a sports car. He pushed it aside to reveal the safe, and he started turning the combination knob. "I'm good for it this week. Next week might be a little sketchy since it's payroll."

"The boss made it clear to you that percentages are based on whatever isn't needed to maintain the club and pay the employees," reminded Hange coolly. "I won't be the one you're dealing with next week, and Bozado isn't as tolerant of bullshit as I am. Just fair warning."

"So he's sending his captains in to collect?" Kenny grinned over his shoulder at her, his eyes flashing cunningly. "What, he can't trust any of the rookies to get it done?"

Hange shrugged. "They'll be assigned to it sooner or later. This is still a new business arrangement, so call it insurance against you getting any ideas about short-changing us."

The door to the office suddenly crashed open, and Bertolt stumbled in and fell to his knees. Kenny whirled and immediately drew a pistol from within his jacket, but the people interrupting their meeting already had one gun trained on the club manager and the other trained on the prone bouncer.

"I'll put a bullet through his skull, and then Max here will put a bullet through yours," warned the brown-haired guy holding Bertolt at gunpoint. "We'll kill every whore, waiter and bartender in this place if you fuck with us, Ackerman."

Kenny narrowed his eyes, and when the man started to squeeze the trigger, the club manager shrugged and set his gun down on the corner of his desk. "Long time no see, Quincy. You know who owns this place now, right? Wouldn't be a good idea to piss him off."

"We know you still owe our boss money and you haven't paid up," countered the man named Quincy. "We're here to collect. I see you were going for your safe. That's convenient. Hey honey, don't try anything stupid."

The last part he directed at Hange, who was reaching for her purse. She shrugged. "Can't a girl put on a little lip balm?" She kept going, and she pulled out a stick of said item, popped the cap and rubbed some balm over her lips. She looked at Kenny. "I take it these guys aren't exactly friends of yours."

"Not exactly," he agreed. "Oi, you pricks realize you can't pull off your threat without the law coming after you, right? You've got eye witnesses that saw you come in, unless you plan on killing all the customers in this place, too."

"All they saw was us walking to the back with this idiot on the floor here," said Quincy. "We've got more boys outside, front and back. If any of your staff tries to leave, they're dead."

Hange had no doubt about that. These men had silencers on their firearms. They could at least kill her and Kenny, and make out with the money before anyone knew what happened. She made a judgment call then, because the odds were against her and it was better to survive and get recompense for this intrusion than to end up buried.

"Give him the money, Kenny," Hange ordered.

Kenny looked supremely frustrated, but with a grumble, he opened the safe and started gathering up the currency in there. Quincy circled around the desk and helped himself to Kenny's seat behind it, keeping his gun on the manager while his companion kept Bertolt at gunpoint. He propped his heels up on the desk and he leaned back, eyeballing Hange curiously.

"Alpha chick, huh? Not bad on the eyes. Are you working here now, too? With your build, you could probably be a bouncer."

"I'm a client," Hange said, keeping the whole truth to herself for her own good. "I was just here to set up a private dance."

"With that cute piece of ass that was just on the stage out there?" guessed Quincy with a smirk. "I'd like some private time with her too, but not a dance."

The insinuation that he wanted to fuck Petra made Hange's blood burn unexpectedly. She smiled at him in a wild, feral manner. "I would be careful about telling another alpha you want to fuck their omega, friend."

Kenny froze for a second, and then he looked over his shoulder at Hange. " _Your_ omega? Since when?"

Since when, indeed? Just the day before, Hange had told Erwin she didn't intend to pursue Petra Ral that way, no matter how attractive she found her. Her statement surprised her as much as it surprised Kenny, but Hange was a slippery individual, capable of adapting quickly and improvising when she had to.

"We haven't announced it to anyone. Really, Kenny, do you think you know absolutely everything that goes on with your dancers' private lives?"

He started to say something else...probably to dispute her claim because he hadn't detected Hange's scent mark on Petra. Hange stared at him warningly, and he seemed to catch on. He resumed counting out the money. "None of my damned business."

"I'm the one with the gun here," Quincy reminded. "Whether you've marked her or not, she's still a whore and she—"

Hange suddenly stood up, slammed her hands down on the desk and brought her face within inches of the alpha male's. She paid no attention to the barrel of the gun's silencer now pointed at her temple hastily.

"Call her a whore," she challenged in a low voice. "One more time."

"She's...a...whore," enunciated Quincy with a bold smirk. "And so are you. A dead one, if you don't cool off."

Hange slowly backed off, and she picked up her discarded chap stick. She rubbed some more over her lips, staring unblinkingly at the man that had insulted Petra and herself. "Well, you _do_ have the gun, my dear," she said in a dangerously sweet voice. "But I have something special."

Quincy eyed her up and down. "Yeah? What are you offering?"

Hange laughed. "Oh, I'm not offering you anything."

She twisted the bottom of her chapstick tube abruptly, pointing the end of it at Quincy. There was a pop, the tip blew apart and the next thing anyone knew, Quincy fell back in his chair with a hole blown straight through his left eye. He was dead in an instant. His companion looked up in shock, stunned by the unexpected turn of events just long enough for Hange to leap over the desk to the other side, dive for the gun lying in Quincy's twitching hand and fire a couple of shots _under_ the desk, right over Bertolt's head. The slugs hit the other thug in the shins, shattering them.

Kenny came out of his own stupor, and he grabbed his gun off the desk and fired it into the fallen alpha's skull, putting an end to his screaming. Bertolt was covering his head and cowering on the floor, spouting off startled curses.

"What the hell?" Kenny said, nudging the body with his boot and staring at Hange with amazement. "What was that? Exploding chapstick?"

Hange picked up the now demolished tube of chapstick, examining the shattered hole in the tip where the tiny firing mechanism could now be seen. Bits of lip balm had scattered over the desk and her face, and she was thankful that she'd been wearing glasses instead of contact lenses today. "Ow, that's a hot mother," she complained, dropping the smoking item hastily. She grinned at Kenny. "At least I know it works. I designed it myself, but I've only ever tested it on paper targets. Unfortunately, they're only good for one shot."

"You could have shot yourself in the face," he pointed out.

"Possibly." Hange shrugged. "Unlikely, though. I had to click it to arm it."

Kenny walked over to the now deceased Quincy, bending over to have a closer look at the wound that Hange's deadly lip balm had caused. "What is that, a ball-bearing?" He flicked his lighter and stared into the hole where Quincy's eye used to be.

"That's right. Bullets didn't work well with it, so I played around with different ideas. So far, this design seems to be the best one."

The door opened up again, and Eren Jaeger came in with an alarmed look on his face. "I thought I heard a gun, go off, and...oh."

Wide green eyes stared at the body on the floor lying near Bertolt. The tall bouncer was just getting shakenly to his feet. Eren stammered something, and then he hastily closed the door behind him. "What the hell happened?"

"My old loan shark sent some folks after me to get money," answered Kenny. "Too bad for them this chicky here doesn't play around." He nodded at Hange.

"W-we should call the police," Bertolt suggested, accepting Eren's help up. His face was as white as a sheet.

Hange nearly said that they should hold off on that, but apparently there were more of their syndicate members both inside and outside the club. If she called in reinforcements from her family, it could just end up in a bloodbath that would earn a bad reputation for the club and drive away customers. Of course, if news got out that a couple of armed guys bullied their way into the back office to steal from the owners, that might not go over so well.

Hange sighed. Either way, it was likely to make the news and due to her record, she was likely to get taken in for questioning and detained. There had to be some way to get rid of those thugs out there without it turning into more bloodshed. Yes, they'd likely haul ass if the police showed up, but Hange didn't want law enforcement involved more than they had to be, and she didn't want to drive away customers, either.

"What we need is a distraction," she decided at last. She'd used a handkerchief from her purse to grab Quincy's gun with earlier, so she wasn't concerned about her fingerprints being on them. She looked around, the gears turning in her brain as she sought out an answer to her dilemma. Her eyes went to the fire sprinkler in the ceiling, and she experienced a moment of inspiration.

"I've got it. We'll set off the fire alarm. We can write it off as some prank pulled by a drunk customer when the fire department doesn't find any blaze source."

Kenny nodded. "Yeah, that ought to get those shits out the door, and once the fire department shows up, and I don't think they're stupid enough to try shooting anyone right out in the open with all those witnesses."

"Just make sure all of your employees go out the front door into the street, and not the back," cautioned Hange. "They need to stick with the crowd so that they don't get nabbed or hurt by these goons."

"So wait, are you telling me these guys were trying to hold us all hostage?" Eren stared at her in shock. "Why would anyone try to take a strip club hostage?"

"They were trying to intimidate Ackerman into giving them money, despite his debt already being paid off to them," explained Hange. "My guess is their boss is pissed that someone else swooped in and took over the club before he could. This is as much a move against my people as it is against Kenny."

"I'd like to know how they thought they were going to wrestle the club away from Smith," muttered Kenny, scratching his chin.

"Maybe they weren't." Hange looked down at both bodies thoughtfully, familiar enough with the world of organized crime to have an idea of what they might have planned. Some of what Quincy had said came back to her, along with the history behind the omegas employed at the club. "Maybe they wanted your dancers, and not the club at all."

"You mean to sell them back to the black market," guessed Kenny. "Could be they didn't intend to shoot any of 'em at all, just round them up and sell them off to the highest bidder."

Eren now looked as pale as Bertolt. "How could they do that, though? We're legal citizens now. They can't just nab people off the street and—"

"How do you think you ended up on the action block, ready to be trained as a sex slave and sold off?" Kenny interrupted coldly. "Sex slavery is a pretty fucking lucrative business, especially if you can manage to get your hands on an omega without getting caught. Wouldn't surprise me if these assholes had ties to the people that I bought you all from."

"Right now, all we can do is assume," Hange pointed out. "If this was all part of some revenge scheme, they probably had plans to burn this place to the ground to make it useless to Erwin. Maybe they had plans to kidnap the dancers and use them to make up for their loss in revenue, but it's also a possibility that they were just threatening them to force your cooperation. My people will look into it. In the meantime, we need to stash these bodies somewhere and clean up the mess as well as we can. I'll make some calls when the fire department leaves and the coast is clear, and we'll have the bodies taken care of permanently."

"Miss Hange," Eren said nervously, "I don't know if you should be here with the fire department shows up. I mean, because it could implicate things."

She smiled at him. "I was actually thinking the same thing. Help me bag up—"

Bertolt bent over and puked on the floor at that moment.

"Bertolt, dear, you need to get control of yourself," Hange said. She took up her purse and she dug through it until she found a bottle of pills. "Here, take one of these. You have to swear to me now that you will not say _one_ _word_ of what happened in here, understand? It's for your own safety."

He didn't look very comforted. He took the pill offered to him, and he stared at it. "What is it?"

"Something that will make you feel much calmer," promised Hange.

"I...don't know if I should take any strange drugs," he protested. "I swear I won't talk about this, though. I don't even want to remember it!"

"Oi, why don't you go make your calls, Zoë?" Kenny nodded at Eren. "And you go spread the word to the other employees to be ready to get out the front door, kid. We'd better get a move on, before those fuckers still out there start getting suspicious."

"What about these two?" Hange pointed at the bodies. "And what about your bouncer, here? I think the boy is on the verge of a breakdown."

"I'll have a talk with the kid," Kenny assured. "I can take care of these bodies, too."

Hange narrowed her eyes at him, wondering just what other shady things Kenny Ackerman had been involved in that her organization still didn't know about. Doubtful that he could take care of the bodies without help, she nevertheless conceded and got out her phone. The door was damaged from the rival gangsters busting in, but they could always say that Kenny broke through it when the fire alarms went off so that he could grab some things from the office.

* * *

Erwin was just passing by one of the fancier restaurants in town, when he saw a familiar person sitting near a window inside. He told his driver to stop immediately, and he stared with a frown from his car. There was no doubt about it; that was Levi. What he was doing in such a high dollar restaurant when he was supposed to be at work was a mystery to Erwin. He knew the man's schedule by now, and unless he called in sick, Levi was supposed to be at the Omega Experience at this time of night. Erwin drank in the sight of the dancer. Levi was dressed sharply tonight, wearing a deep blue button up shirt, a black blazer, black pants and a black cravat around his throat. He'd removed his earrings for the outing, and Erwin supposed that made sense, considering the restaurant's dress code.

Erwin told Niles to wait there. He wasn't sure what he was planning to do. Maybe Levi was treating himself to a nice dinner out and taking the evening off. The thought of asking if he could join him crossed Erwin's mind, and just as he stepped off the curb, he saw three other men and a woman join Levi at the table. One of the men was a fairly attractive red-head in a gray and white business suit. He looked to be around Erwin's age. His hair was collar-length and neatly groomed, and he took a seat right next to Levi. As Erwin watched, the redhead put an arm familiarly around Levi's shoulders. Erwin forgot all about the two brunet men and the blonde woman with them; his focus sharpened immediately on the redhead and the proximity he'd taken to Levi.

A waiter came by with drinks, and the redhead spoke into Levi's ear. Levi actually smiled—something that Erwin had never seen him do fully since knowing him. It was a subtle smile, but it was softer than the stripper's usual clever smirk. Levi said something back, and then he had a taste of his drink. The redhead in turn spoke to the waiter, and then read something off of the menu himself.

Erwin felt a sickening lurch of jealousy. Levi was out on a date. _His Levi_ was out on a date with another man. He couldn't be certain, but Erwin believed all of Levi's companions were beta types. The female _might_ be an omega, but he couldn't be certain unless he walked in and caught their scents.

He very nearly did it, but then Levi started to turn his head toward the window that Erwin was standing outside of, and the mafia boss quickly ducked back against the wall so that he wouldn't be spotted. Heart pounding with adrenaline, Erwin told himself to calm down. He hadn't known Levi for that long. He shouldn't feel this ache of betrayal. They had an odd relationship, and nothing had been established concerning exclusivity, despite his heart telling him that Levi was his. He had no real claim to him yet, not really.

But why did it physically pain him so much to see the omega with another man? Why was Levi Ackerman so consuming to him? Erwin's chiseled features hardened. If nothing else, he did have some right to a smidgeon of respect. He'd just spent the entire night before making love to Levi. The little hellion could have at least waited for a day or two to pass before going out on a date with another man.

Finding himself judging Levi despite his efforts to be understanding and patient, Erwin went back to the car. His phone started to ring as soon as he got in, and he winced when he accidentally slammed the door.

"Everything okay sir?" Niles asked from the driver's seat.

"Yes, fine," lied Erwin. He dug his phone out of his pocket and he checked the ID before answering. "What is it, Hange?"

"Erwin, we've had a teensy little problem at the club tonight."

Erwin rubbed his forehead. He really wasn't up for any complications. "What sort of problem? Did Kenny try to short us on our profit cut?"

"No, he had the full payment," Hange explained, "but some guys came in and busted into the office while we were making the transaction. They had guns. They claimed to work for that loan shark that you paid off Kenny's debt to. We came out on top, but the two that came in here armed are dead. I'm going to need a cleanup crew to meet up with me after I put my plan into motion."

Hange explained everything that had happened to her boss, and Erwin listened with a frown. Hange's idea sounded solid enough, but if these thugs were going to start causing trouble at the Omega Experience, he was going to have to take some measures to make the place more secure. It sounded like he was also going to need to pay a visit to Eddie Darringson and find out if he was responsible for this intrusion, or if these men had acted on their own. Chances were that if it was the latter, they were doing it at his behest without his knowledge to gain favor with him. Sometimes rookie underlings did things like that. Erwin had recently demanded that Connie make restitution paid to an associate the kid robbed, thinking he was bringing in some extra cash for his boss without realizing the guy was involved with the family.

"Mistakes can happen in this business," Erwin stated calmly. "Do you need my personal involvement in this, or can you handle things on your own with a cleanup crew?"

"Oh, I can handle it," promised Hange. "Just send them here to meet me and we'll take care of it all before sunrise tomorrow. The only thing I ask is that you send Oluo to supervise cleanup. Things always go much more smoothly with him present."

"Done." Erwin nodded at Nile when the driver asked if he was ready to go home. He looked out the window at the restaurant, still puzzling over the ache he felt over seeing Levi on a date with another man. He'd never had such a reaction before, not even when he caught an old flame cheating on him back in his younger days—a lover he'd considered proposing to, no less.

"Take care, Hange. If you find yourself in trouble with the law—"

"I know, don't contact you and don't implicate you. I'll be on my own."

Erwin nodded. There was really no need for him to remind any of his captains of that protocol, but it was still worth mentioning so that Hange would remember to stress that rule to the soldiers that would be showing up to assist. Newer members of the syndicate sometimes needed those reminders, for their own good as well as for the family.

* * *

It didn't take long for Levi to recover from his long, passionate night with Erwin. He'd been taking better care of himself over the past few weeks, so his body was quick to bounce back from the lingering soreness. He was ready to return to work the day after his escort date, and he went in feeling better than usual. In fact, he felt somewhat rejuvenated. At first he thought it was because he'd gotten plenty of rest after his dinner date, but as he caught a whiff of the alpha scent lingering strongly on his person, he realized the truth of it. Being with Erwin had been more satisfying than Levi could have ever anticipated. Levi caught himself sniffing his own wrist in the process of changing out of his regular clothes and into a dance uniform, and he rolled his eyes.

"The man's going to make me useless," predicted Levi softly to himself. He snapped his mouth shut when two of the other dancers entered the changing room, and he frowned upon seeing the urgent expression on Petra's face.

"What's up?" prompted Levi as the small ginger ushered Mina out gently.

Petra approached him now that they were alone, and she explained. She told him about the thugs coming into the club the night before, threatening the staff before the fire alarms suddenly went off.

"I tried to reach you on your cell phone to tell you about it," she said.

Levi sighed. "I had it shut off while I was on my escort date. You must have tried to call me around that time."

He checked his phone and sure enough, there were four missed calls from his contacts, all of them staff at the Omega Experience. "So what set the fire alarms off, and what happened with the thugs? Did you guys call the cops?"

"The thugs ran outside with everyone else when the fire alarms went off," answered Petra. "Kenny didn't see the point in calling the cops, and I guess Miss Zoë agreed with him for obvious reasons. I don't know exactly what happened when they went into the office, but Kenny hinted that the troublemakers were here trying to get money out of him. I guess Hange said to leave it up to her and her associates. There wasn't any fire, though. Either there was a glitch in the alarms or someone set them off on purpose."

Levi considered her explanation. There was more to this story than Petra knew, he was sure. If the guys Petra described made it into the office and started throwing their weight around, something must have happened in there. He thought of going straight to Kenny to find out what else went on, but Petra had said that Bertolt was the one to take the goons back there.

"Where is Hoover?"

"Taking a couple of days off," answered Petra. She sighed. "We probably need to hire at least one more bouncer."

"Yeah, we need to step up the security," agreed Levi with a frown. Usually the worst that happened in the club was some guy getting too smashed and having to be escorted out, or someone getting too grabby with the dancers. Lately, the latter seemed to be happening more often, and the incident from last night set off warning bells for certain. "Kenny around?"

Petra nodded. "He's in the office."

Levi finished laying out his first dancing outfit of his shift. "All right. I'll bump myself back further on the stage schedule so I can have a talk with him. You're about due to clock out, right?"

"Yes, I was just about to, but I wanted to wait for you to get here so that I could talk to you about what happened. Do you need me to come in for a shift tomorrow?"

"No, you haven't had a day off for two weeks," insisted Levi. "Enjoy the weekend, Petra. We've got enough dancers on the schedule to cover it."

She smiled a little. "I can't remember the last time I had a Saturday and Sunday off. Thank you, Levi."

"You've earned it, especially after dealing with that shit last night."

Levi gave her a nod, and he left the dressing room to head to the office. When he got to the door, he found his way blocked by a tall woman with a tan complexion, a light smatter of freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks, light brown eyes and angular features. Her eyes were narrow and heavy-lidded, similar to Levi's. She kept her hair loose and straight to her shoulders, with the long fringe parted in the center. Wearing a pair of blue jeans and a sleeveless green shirt with a band logo on it, she displayed lean, toned arms that told Levi she was in good shape and could probably kick some ass. There was a healing bruise on the left side of her jaw, and a quick scan of her with his eyes told him a little bit about her. Her knuckles were scarred. This one was obviously a fighter, and an alpha, if his nose wasn't tricking him. She looked utterly bored, but she straightened up when Levi approached her, and she put herself between the door and him.

"Sorry kiddo, nobody gets by without the boss' say-so."

Levi gave her a cool, emotionless look, and he spoke flatly. "Don't confuse me for a kid just because I'm short. Who the hell are you?"

"The name's Ymir," obliged the newcomer. Her gaze flicked over him assessingly, and she sniffed as if testing the air. "I'm guessing you must be one of the dancers. Sorry, like I said; the boss has to give the green light before you go in."

Levi's mouth thinned. "Which boss? The huge blond tree, or the scraggly bean pole?"

"Bean pole," answered the alpha female with a shrug. "I haven't met any blond tree, yet."

Levi checked a sigh. Good thing Petra came to him first and explained some of what happened the night before, or he'd have been pissed off. "I take this to mean you're new muscle Kenny must have hired on the fly."

Ymir shrugged loosely. "My girlfriend works here. She hit me up to come in here and talk to your boss about earning a little extra money on the side. He hired me right away and assigned me to guard the office door."

"Good news then," Levi said with as much patience as he could muster, "I'm also your boss, so you can let me in. I'm Levi. Head dancer and co-manager."

"Oh, _you're_ Levi." She eyed him up and down again, her sharp features expressing quiet surprise. She smirked. "From what I've heard about you, I thought you'd be taller. Go on in, then."

Too focused on finding out exactly what was going on, Levi let her observation slide without more than a mild twinge of irritation. He was used to comments on his size by now, and he had bigger things to worry about. Ymir stepped aside, and Levi fished out his keys to unlock the office door. Seeing that the wood around the deadbolt and frame was buckled to the point of the door being un-lockable, he understood why Kenny would assign someone to guard it.

With a shrug, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. Kenny was there at his desk, and Levi's mouth pulled into another frown when he picked up on a familiar odor blending in with the smell of cleaning product. He looked around as his uncle glanced up at him, taking note of a few things. One of which was a neat little hole in the wall near his own desk that hadn't been there the day before yesterday.

"Bullet hole?" guessed Levi, nodding at the hole as he closed the door behind him.

"Yeah, keep it to yourself," answered Kenny.

"Tch. All right, tell me what the hell happened last night." Levi took a seat at his desk, swiveling his chair around to face Kenny. He pulled open one of his drawers and took out the pack of smokes he kept in there to light one up. "Smells like blood in here."

"Damn. I thought I got the smell out," muttered Kenny. He took Levi's example and lit up the cigar sitting half-smoked in his own ash tray. "Guess I've just gotten used to it. I've been here since last night, cleaning up the mess. Those kids Zoë sent got the worst of it, but I could smell the blood too even after they took care of things."

Levi narrowed his eyes. "Let's start from the top, shall we? What happened after the goons showed up last night? I take one night off and this place goes to shit."

"All right, keep your pants on." Kenny chuckled at the irony of his own advice. "Sit back and relax, kid. It's a doozy."

* * *

Levi didn't doubt Kenny's explanation, except for the part where he described Hange shooting a guy in the eyeball with a tube of chapstick.

"She had to be fucking with you," insisted Levi. "She probably had a gun in her purse and she just shot through it without you seeing it. There's no such thing as a chapstick gun."

"I'm telling ya, that lip balm was all she had in her hand. She rigged it to be some kind of ball-bearing shooter and it worked like a charm. The lady's got an engineer's mind."

Levi put out his cigarette, and he powered on his laptop to make some quick schedule changes. "Whatever. I still think it was a sham. I've started to get to know Hange a bit, and she's got a fucked up sense of humor. So, you got rid of the evidence?"

"All gone," confirmed Kenny, "except for that smell. Pretty sure you and me are the only ones that can smell it, so it's no big deal."

"I'll give the office a _real_ cleaning tonight," decided Levi. "I don't want that smell lingering in here. Too distracting."

"Suit yourself." Kenny went to the safe and opened it up. "By the way, here's your cut for escorting Fisher last night. He paid for it in advance."

Levi turned around again as Kenny approached him with a check. He looked at the figure on it and nodded, finding it accurate. He ignored the fact that his cut was about half as much as he'd have gotten if he didn't have a debt to pay off to Kenny. "So who's the freckle-face outside the door? She looks a little rough."

"I just hired her on today." Kenny went back to his desk. "After last night, we need some extra security around here. I had a staff meeting at lunch, told everyone there that if they knew someone that could fill in as a bouncer to get 'em here immediately. Historia was on the phone with her girlfriend before the meeting even finished, and she showed up an hour later."

Levi slipped his check into his wallet, and he tilted his head as he regarded his uncle. "How do you know she's got the chops for it? Yeah, she's tall and she's got the attitude, but has she ever done this before?"

"No, but all she's gotta do is stand there and keep people from coming in here." Kenny shrugged. "I'm sure she can lend a hand if Reiner needs help dealing with any trouble-makers. The girl's a cage fighter."

Levi stared at him. "A cage fighter," he repeated.

"Yup. Historia showed me some pictures and filled me in. That leggy girlfriend of hers has only lost two fights this year. I think she'll do just fine in a pinch, and she might work out permanently."

"We'll see." Levi supposed he believed the story about Ymir being a cage fighter, after meeting her. "Smith's going to want to interview her himself, too. You didn't forget that, right?"

"Nope. I already gave him a call and told him to come by and meet her whenever he feels like it. Said he'd be here tonight."

Levi's heart annoyingly skipped a beat. He tightened his jaw, irritated with himself for reacting that way after just one night of being with Erwin. "Good. Let's hope this chick works out. So, did the fire department ask too many questions?"

Kenny shook his head, and he sighed. "Nah, but we got fined two-hundred dollars for the false alarm. Small price to pay to cover our asses, though."

Levi said nothing about that. Two-hundred dollars wasn't so bad, but he had a feeling it was going to come out of staff pay or out of the profit share meant for Erwin. If that happened though, it would be all on Kenny. He could at least take comfort in knowing that his dancers wouldn't suffer any further garnishments to tips and wages without it getting addressed, and even Kenny seemed reluctant to cross Erwin Smith.

* * *

Erwin probably should have put off interviewing Ymir for the next day, rather than cancel his appointment with his Consigliore to discuss what was to be done about the situation with Eddie Darringson and his syndicate. He could have waited to meet the new bouncer that Kenny had brought in, but he had a more personal reason for going to the club sooner rather than later. That reason happened to have flashing gray eyes, pitch black hair and a vulgar mouth. That reason was what Erwin knew was going to keep him up at night, and he needed some reassurance...or some closure. This was what people got when they invested too much into passion for another human being. This was how people got ruined, and he should have known better.

The mafia boss deliberately cooled his passion as he got out of his car and walked through the front entrance of the club. The place was in full swing tonight, despite the fire alarm incident the night before that had patrons and staff alike scrambling to get out the door to safety. Of course, the customers probably had no idea that the men that came in to see the manager were armed and threatening to harm people. Most of them probably hadn't even noticed the thugs until the music stopped, and that had been remedied quickly enough. It was also a Friday night, so the turnout was to be expected.

Ally was currently up on the center stage, and Rachel was dancing on the smaller one. Erwin had no interest in them. His thoughts were on one single, defiant male omega. He had to at lease keep up the pretext of coming here for business, though. He nodded at Reiner when the bouncer told him to go on ahead to the office; he was expected.

Clamping down tightly on his feelings, he went to introduce himself to the new employee and garnish what information he could about her to determine the likelihood of her staying on the staff roster.

* * *

Levi was in the middle of giving the office a good, thorough cleaning when Erwin Smith came into it without a knock or a warning. The omega sighed, guessing he'd already spoken with Ymir and now wanted to cage him into an awkward discussion about where their relationship was heading. On his hands and knees wearing a cleaning apron, a hair scarf and gloves to keep product off of his hands, hair and clothing, Levi paused in his scrubbing when he saw the look on Erwin's chiseled features. The man's jaw was set, and his piercing blue eyes were hard and opaque. The cold expression on Erwin's face softened a bit as the alpha took in the sight of Levi, and that confused the hell out of him.

Levi left off his scrubbing and got to his feet, wiping his gloved hands absently on his apron. "Hey."

It took Erwin a moment to respond. "Hey."

Something felt off to Levi, but he couldn't decide what it was. He got uncomfortable with the silence stretching between them, and he decided to break it. "So the new girl. What do you think? Keeper or throw-away?"

"Keeper," answered the mafia boss, "at least for now. I see potential in her, and I'm interested in seeing what she has to offer."

"You sound so serious about it," Levi observed. "It's just a bouncer job, Erwin."

"I wasn't referring strictly to the bouncer position."

Levi tilted his head. "Oh. You mean you think she has recruitment potential for your ranks, is that it?"

Erwin nodded. "Possibly. Time will tell." His gaze caressed Levi's form. "You look cute."

Levi looked down at himself with a little frown. "What, this? It's just cleaning stuff. Do you have some kind of weird fetish for that?"

A brief smirk twitched on the handsome alpha's lips. "Not before now."

Levi felt his cheeks warming, and he cursed himself for it. He turned away purposely in an effort to hide the blush from Erwin's sight. He got back down on the floor to resume scrubbing at the spot where most of the blood scent was still concentrated. "What was that look on your face all about when you first came in?"

There was another heavy pause, and then Erwin spoke again. "Who was that man you were out with last night?"

Levi froze, his eyes widening a little. He composed himself and he looked over his shoulder at Erwin, craning his neck to stare up at the man's face. "You've been fucking following me?"

Erwin shook his head. "No. It was mere happenstance that I noticed you seated at a table of a favorite restaurant while in my car. I was simply in the right place at the right time—or rather, the wrong one for both. I'd been led to believe you weren't dating."

Levi sighed, his cheeks cooling. He got up again, and he approached the towering blond. "How is it any of your business either way?"

For a moment, Erwin's gaze intensified and darkened.

 _~He's pissed. He's_ really _pissed.~_

There was something else there too, though. Levi had heard it in his voice, and he could hardly believe it. Was Erwin...hurt? Did he think that date was about personal pleasure? Evidently the answer was "yes" to both, judging by his reactions. It made Levi feel a little sick, even as he understood why Erwin would be upset.

"Look," he sighed, tugging his gloves off and tossing them to the floor next to his cleaning bucket, "It was business, not pleasure. That was a client you saw me with. I wasn't going to take the appointment, but I've had him before and he pays well for the service. He paid twice the going rate, and I've got expenses to think about. You know I do escort services sometimes. I told you that when you first bought us out."

Some of Erwin's apparent tension seemed to fade a little. "Yes, you did tell me that."

"And you never said you have a problem with it," Levi pointed out defensively.

Erwin lowered his gaze. "I thought that I didn't."

His response gave Levi pause, and then he started getting helplessly angry because he actually felt bad for giving Erwin the wrong impression. He stepped closer to him, grabbed the alpha by the chin and forced him to lift his head and meet his eyes. "Did you really think I'd go on a real date with someone the next day after fucking you?"

"I don't know," answered the blond. "I'm still trying to get past your walls and know you better, Levi. In my defense, I will say this: it certainly didn't look good from where I was standing."

Levi released his hold on Erwin's chin. "Well I don't fuck clients. Ever. The closest I've come to that was doing you in the hotel room, so I guess I can't say I've never fucked my boss. That shouldn't bother _you_ though."

"Yes, I'm clearly the winner in the latter scenario," agreed Erwin with a dry little smirk. Some of the hurt and anger faded from his eyes. "So there's no intimacy at all on these escort dates?"

Levi shrugged. "Sometimes a kiss at the end of the night. Sometimes a nightcap. No fondling, nudity or fucking, though. Good enough for you?"

Erwin sighed. "No. I realize and understand that escort services provide you additional income, along with the private dances. The difference is that in the latter of the two, I know there's thick glass separating you from your client, and no physical contact."

"Hey, I never agreed to be your...whatever the hell it is you think I am to you," Levi reminded, getting flustered by the look in the man's eyes. "I agreed to sleep with you and give us both some relief from this fucked up sexual tension we've had, but I never said I'd be your omega."

"No, you didn't," agreed Erwin, his voice taking on a determined sort of calm. "You're absolutely right, Levi. I haven't the right to forbid you from taking on escort appointments, and I won't even attempt to. I can't stop you from going on actual dates with other people, either. What I will ask you to do is fairly simple, though."

Levi shrugged, deflating a little under the man's seemingly reasonable words. "What's that?"

Erwin's gaze intensified on him. "No more kissing. If it truly is just business so that these clients can show you off for the night, then there's no need for it. Until we've established that nothing more is going to happen between us, I would like you to respect that one wish. Allowing them to kiss you could give rise to the expectation or hope of something more, and as far as I'm concerned, that should be something reserved for me."

Not knowing why those low, passionate words stirred him so much, Levi muffled his impulses, and he tested Erwin. "What if I meet someone else I want to go on a real date with? Are you telling me I can't shop around? I can't kiss someone else I like if I really want to?"

"As I said: I won't try to dictate what you do with your personal life," reminded Erwin, frowning a bit. "I accept the fact that you're free to date whomever you choose, until you've made up your mind about me. Just do me the small favor of not kissing your clients, from now on. Is it so much to ask?"

Levi wasn't ready to give in. "Well, what if they offer me extra money for a kiss. You know, like you did the night I met you?"

This time, Erwin's little responsive smile seemed more genuine. His deep voice resonated confidence as he bent over a little, leaned in and spoke into Levi's right ear. "Do you think you would respond to their kiss the way you did to mine?"

Levi flushed again, and his eyes fluttered closed. Erwin's nearness made his pulse race, made him short of breath. His body screamed for more, longing to feel the blond's hands on it, feel him inside again.

"Fine," Levi spouted, losing his resolve. "Kissing's off the menu. Now back off; I've got cleaning product all over this apron and it's gonna get on that expensive shirt you're wearing."

Giving the omega another smile that clearly said Erwin knew he'd scored a victory here, the blond stepped back obligingly. "What was that client's name that you were with last night, anyhow?"

"Tch, like I'm going to tell you after the way you came in here freaking out." Levi turned away from him, willing his heart to stop pounding so hard. He had less than an hour before he had to go on stage again. He needed to get this smell out of his office. "You don't need to know who my clients are or where they live, Smith. I'm not an idiot."

"Are you implying that I might do them harm?" There was a smirk in Erwin's tone.

Levi kept his eyes on his task, putting his gloves back on to resume scrubbing. "I'm implying that I've already compromised enough with you. Call it what you want."

"I see. Well, I'd best be going." Erwin paused at the door. "I'll be back next Friday, if not sooner."

The implications of that weren't lost on Levi. What Erwin meant was that he would be scent-marking him again, and probably fucking him afterwards, unless Levi could control his own libido and reactions to the experience.

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only Hange could come up with lip balm that kills.


	7. Chapter 7

Levi's neglect of certain dietary needs came back to bite him on the ass, a couple of weeks later. He thought he could put it off a little while longer, but then the dizziness hit him while he was up on the dance stage. He tried to quell the panic inside when he felt the familiar wave of weakness, and he used the pole subtly to keep from pitching over onto his face. Undulating smoothly, Levi covered it up with practiced care, hiding the fact that he was using the dancer pole to stay upright. He avoided twirling on it, and he leaned back against it and made a show of gyrating against its length. His audience was none the wiser, but as Levi finished his routine and started to go for his discarded garments, he stumbled a little. Eren was back behind the stage watching him, and the worried expression on his face revealed that he'd noticed something wasn't right.

"Levi?" called Eren as the smaller omega stepped down and got out of sight of the crowd.

"I'm fine," Levi started to say, but his knees began to buckle. As if fate decided to time his appearance just right, Erwin Smith came into view, coming down the back hallway from the direction of the dressing room.

"There you are," greeted the mafia boss. "I was searching for your uncle, but I'm sure I can do my business with you."

"Pay day, huh?" guessed Levi.

He put a hand against the wall, starting to see dark spots in his vision. Eren immediately put an arm around him, and Erwin frowned upon examining Levi's pale features more closely.

"You're as white as a sheet," observed Erwin. "What's the matter, Levi?"

"He's getting over the flu," Eren quickly excused before Levi could try to answer. "See Levi? We _told_ you that you shouldn't have come in today. You need your rest too, just like anyone else. Um, excuse us, Mr. Smith. I'm going to get him to the office to lay down for a little while."

"Here, allow me," said Erwin, and he started to put his arms around the head dancer to pick him up.

"No, I don't need to be carried," insisted Levi, pushing away from the blond. He tried to conceal his alarm. Erwin did _not_ need to find out what was really making him sick. "Eren can take care of me. Kenny's upstairs if you need to see him, and he's probably already got the cut of profits he owes you."

"I...see." A spasm of suspicion crossed Erwin's face, and Levi noticed that same flicker of hurt in his eyes that he'd seen the last time they'd spoken.

"Eren's already been exposed," reasoned Levi, "but you haven't. If there's a chance I could still be contagious, I don't want you catching this shit."

"If you're worried about people catching your flu, you shouldn't even be here," Erwin pointed out.

Levi grimaced. So much for that excuse. "Yeah, good point. I'll go home as soon as this dizzy spell goes away. Eren, get me to the office."

* * *

Erwin watched his love interest go with Eren Jaeger, and he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more going on than a flu. He already knew Levi didn't do drugs, but something felt strange about this entire thing. If he was right, then Eren was helping Levi cover up whatever it was. Erwin left the corridor and went up the stairs to seek out Kenny, trying not to dwell on it for too long. He found the former owner of the club in the VIP room after getting directed there by Sasha when he asked if she'd seen him. Kenny was talking to a client, on the other side of the room who must have rented the VIP room for a party. The blond waited for Kenny to spot him and excuse himself, and he stepped outside the room with him.

"Here ya go, bossman," Kenny said after handing over a money case he had in his pocket.

Erwin silently counted out the cash, checking to be sure it matched the figure he expected to be getting. Good; this time Kenny had the entire sum.

"Wasn't expecting you to be the one to come collecting tonight," observed Kenny. "Special occasion?"

"My people are busy with other things," answered Erwin absently, taking the money to slip it into his inner jacket pocket. He returned the case to Kenny. "I also sometimes like to check in here myself and see how things are going."

Actually, he'd come tonight because collecting the money was an excellent excuse to see Levi again before the next time he intended to scent-mark him. He hadn't been expecting to see the dancer in such a sickly state, and the seed of concern in his breast started to grow steadily. "I'm sorry to hear your head dancer is ill. I hope he'll feel better soon."

Kenny's brows knitted. "Eh? Levi's sick? That's news to me."

Erwin blinked slowly. Interesting. If Levi was getting over a flu, he should have called in sick at some point before now. "I came across him and Eren downstairs," he explained. "Levi seemed very pale, and Eren said that he's getting over a flu virus."

"Oh. Ah, that." Kenny's eyes became hooded. "Yeah, the kid's pretty stubborn about taking it easy. Sounds like I need to have a talk with him. He's probably not eating right, again. Levi's tough though...he'll bounce back."

Erwin said nothing more about it, though Kenny's response made him even more suspicious. Just what was going on in this place that he wasn't getting told about? "Well, excuse me. I should be going."

Without waiting for a response, he left and went back downstairs. He almost went for the door, but he decided to check in on Levi before leaving the club. He changed his trajectory and headed for the office with that intention in mind, but Levi and Eren were already coming out of it by the time he made it down the hallway. Levi had color in his complexion again, and Eren seemed a little paler than usual. The younger of the two was wearing a cravat around his throat that Erwin was sure he hadn't been wearing before, and he thought it was a strange and sudden addition to Eren's current outfit. The white cravat looked out of place with the sleeveless mesh shirt and tight black pants.

"Is everything all right?" Erwin inquired as the pair of them stopped and looked at him as if he'd just caught them doing something wrong.

Levi glanced at Eren, and the taller omega had a slightly panicked expression on his face. "Fine. Eren called me a cab home and he's helping me outside."

"Y-yeah," agreed Eren with a nod.

"I could give you a ride home, Levi," offered Erwin, now insanely curious and wanting some time alone with Levi so that he could try to get more details out of him. "My car is waiting outside. There's no need for you to pay a cab fare."

"Thanks, but they're already sending someone and there's a fee if I cancel right now," excused Levi.

Unfamiliar with how cab fares and rules worked these days, Erwin accepted the excuse reluctantly. "Well then, get plenty of rest," he said calmly, conceding defeat. Whatever might be going on here besides a lingering flu, he wasn't likely to coax the truth out of this stubborn little man. Levi, he'd come to understand, would only part with information he was ready to share. Perhaps one day he would come to trust Erwin enough to be more open with him.

* * *

Levi didn't forget the promise he'd made to Erwin about not kissing his clients when he took escort appointments. He intended to keep that promise to him, but he avoided letting another sexual encounter happen between he and Erwin after the first one. No matter how much he secretly craved it, no matter how hot the man made him every time Erwin scent-marked him, Levi resisted.

He tried to be aloof with Erwin each time he saw him, but he found himself having conversations with the mafia boss that he didn't intend to. Erwin would come to the club sometimes to check in on business, watch Levi dance or arrange a private dance from him. He always took a moment to have a chat with the omega, asking how he was, how the other dancers were, and gently prodding him about his likes and dislikes. He brought him things sometimes, little gifts like a bottle of Levi's favorite expensive tequila, or a package of the tea he liked.

In short, Erwin Smith was trying to court him. Levi knew it beyond a doubt, and other than his aggression when Erwin marked him with his alpha scent, the man was behaving as a perfect gentleman. He didn't try to push Levi for sex, even when the dancer was on the verge of breaking down and would have probably agreed to it if propositioned.

He had to hold back. He had to resist temptation. His life was already complicated enough and restricted enough without ending up in a pair-bond with an alpha. This is what Levi Ackerman kept telling himself, even as his desire for Erwin made him flatly miserable. He never should have slept with the sexy bastard. He wouldn't have known what he was missing if he'd just thought with his brain instead of his cock.

Levi didn't understand just how badly Erwin Smith wanted to win him over until he took another escort appointment one chilly evening, and it went horribly, horribly wrong.

* * *

"Erwin, I need you."

Those words surprised the hell out of the mob boss when he answered his phone upon seeing Levi's contact number. The spirited little omega was always been so closed off...so reluctant to respond to him even when his body cried out for it.

"Excuse me," Erwin said to his dinner companions. He was discussing business with a couple of old associates. Ordinarily he would have only answered a call from one of his captains, soldiers or his consigliore at such a time, but for Levi, he made an exception. The two men nodded, probably assuming the call came from just such a person. Erwin got up from the dinner table, and he walked outside the restaurant.

"Levi," he said once out the door and away from others, "what's this about? I hope it's important, because I was in the middle of a business dinner."

"It's important," stated the dancer. "Please meet up with me at the coffee shop down the block from my place. You know where I'm talking about?"

There was something a bit off about his tone...a very faint quiver in his voice that Erwin wasn't used to hearing. Perhaps he was cold? It was a chilly night. Erwin sighed, and he glanced back through the window of the restaurant at the table he'd been sitting at with his two companions. He knew that Levi would never come to him for anything unless the situation was truly dire.

"All right. I know where the place is. Give me ten minutes. I need to apologize to my associates for cutting our dinner meeting short."

"I'll be waiting." The call ended abruptly.

* * *

Levi was puffing away at a cigarette when Erwin arrived at the coffee shop. The omega was wearing a black sweater and a pair of blue jeans. The cross earring dangling from his left earlobe glinted in the overhead lamp shining on the booth. He had a cup of tea sitting untouched on the table, and there was a flash of relief in his silvery-gray eyes when he looked up to see the blond come in. Taking note of the way Levi's knee was bouncing in an uncharacteristically nervous way, Erwin approached the booth Levi was sitting in, and he removed his gloves as he sat down across from him. The anxious behavior gave Erwin cause for concern. He'd never seen Levi this way before.

"What's going on, Levi?" Impulsively, Erwin reached out to lay a big hand over Levi's smaller, clenched one resting on the table by the teacup. "You're trembling. Did something happen at the club?"

Levi shook his head, tapped his cigarette in the ashtray and took another drag. His cheeks were flushed, and Erwin chalked it up to the wind chill outside. The guy hadn't even bothered to put on a coat before venturing out in the crisp night air.

"I've got tonight off. Well, sort of."

Erwin frowned. "What do you mean: _'sort of'_?"

Levi sighed, and he pulled his hand out from under Erwin's to drag his fingers through his wind-blown, raven hair. "You're not gonna like it."

"What?" Erwin demanded, getting a sinking feeling. "What won't I like, Levi?"

Levi met his gaze, and that odd, mirror-like silver flash briefly shone in his eyes. "I took an escort job. It was last minute. The guy wanted a piece of eye candy on his arm at some executive party, and he was willing to pay a shitload of money for me specifically."

Erwin fought a surge of possessive anger, but he quelled it. He'd told Levi that he wouldn't interfere with his escort jobs. True, he'd once allowed his possessiveness of the dancer to get the better of him after seeing Levi with one of his escort clients, but Erwin had since learned to be more accepting and patient. Levi didn't take escort appointments often, and so far, he'd stuck to his promise not to allow any kissing or intimate touching on them. Making a presumption, Erwin felt a seed of flattery. He smiled, his instinctive territorial feelings salved by the implications of this.

"Levi, is that what this is all about? You're right that I'm not happy about it. I'm not, however, going to fly into a rage. I understand what's involved in your escort services, and I know how thorough your screening process is."

Levi finally took a sip of his tea, grimaced at the flavor, and set it down. "Well, I wasn't thorough enough, this time. Come to my place with me, Erwin."

Realizing he'd been wrong about the reason for Levi's anxiety, Erwin frowned again. He started to question the omega further, but Levi's intense, meaningful stare gave him pause.

 _"Not here,"_ those hooded gray eyes seemed to say to him.

There was more to this than Levi being worried that Erwin would have someone killed because they hired him as an escort. Erwin stowed his silly disappointment that the stripper would care that much about how he felt about how he conducted his services. Levi had already assured him in the best way that Erwin was the only person he fucked, and the alpha believed him.

"Where is your motorcycle?" Erwin murmured.

"In the parking garage at my apartment, of course. I only live a block away, remember? I walked."

Feeling rather stupid, Erwin kept his voice and expression calm. "My car is outside waiting. We'll take that."

Levi set his teacup down with a nod. He started to reach for his wallet, and Erwin shook his head. "I'll get this. Just get in the car. You know which one it is. It's parked out by the curb."

Again, Levi nodded, strangely docile. He got up with Erwin, and the blond noticed another tremor pass through that small, strong body.

Erwin immediately removed his stylish coat, and he draped it over Levi's shoulders. "Here. This will keep you warm."

Levi parted his lips, looked down at the long coat now dragging at his feet, and then shot a smirk at Erwin.

"It can wash if the hem gets dirty," insisted Erwin, guessing he was thinking of how it would drag. Sometimes he forgot how much shorter Levi was than him. The man had a presence that made him seem so much bigger than he actually was. "Go ahead to the car. I'll be joining you after I take care of the bill."

Levi nodded again, and he tugged the oversized coat up as much as he could to keep it from dragging the ground as he walked out of the cafe to locate and get into Erwin's chauffeured car. Erwin paid at the register for Levi's cup of tea, leaving a rather generous tip to the waitress in the process. He soon joined Levi in his black, bullet-proofed sedan. He sat down next to the omega, shut the door and tried to avoid staring at Levi in concern.

"Nile, take us to Levi's apartment and wait in the parking garage for me."

"Yes sir."

Nile pulled away from the curb and he drove them to Levi's apartment building. He already knew which level to park on; it wouldn't be the first time he'd driven Erwin there. After reaching floor three, Nile pulled the expensive vehicle into the spot right next to Levi's motorcycle for his apartment number. He got out, and he opened the door for Erwin first, before opening the other passenger door for Levi.

"Thank you, Nile," said Erwin graciously. "I don't know how long this will take, so feel free to nap or amuse yourself at a nearby venue, if you like. Just be prepared to be back here within five minutes of my phone call."

"I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Smith."

Satisfied that his car wouldn't go MIA for an extended time, Erwin followed Levi into the stairwell entrance from the garage. When they made it to his apartment, Erwin stood aside and waited while the omega unlocked his door and opened it up.

Levi swung the door open and stood back. "Go ahead."

Still confused but intrigued, Erwin stepped through the doorway. His senses were alert for danger, reacting to Levi's tension. He saw the issue immediately upon stepping into the living room. There on the floor was a man, sprawled on his stomach. His gray business suit was stained in places with drying blood. He wasn't moving, and he didn't appear to be breathing.

With a glance at Levi and a nod toward the door, Erwin knelt wordlessly beside the unmoving figure. He heard the door close and lock behind him, and he carefully turned the man over. The guy's eyes were staring and blank. Erwin pressed his fingers against the side of the man's throat, though he could tell by the coolness he felt that he'd find no pulse.

"He's dead," he announced.

"No shit." Levi's breath huffed, and Erwin looked up to see him hugging himself in the oversized coat. "Real dead. Deader than a doornail."

Erwin looked down at the corpse with a frown, and he noticed four punctures on the side of his neck. There was hardly any blood leaking from them. "Care to tell me what happened?"

Levi wiped his lips in a strangely self-conscious gesture, and he shrugged. He gestured at something on the floor a few feet away near the coffee table. "That happened."

Erwin looked, and he found a pronged meat fork that one would use for barbeque lying bloodied on the hardwood floor. "You stabbed him with it?"

Levi nodded.

Erwin examined the holes in the dead man's neck again. "Nice aim. It appears you stabbed him twice in the jugular, with perfect spacing." He looked up at Levi curiously, and he noticed the way the omega swallowed.

"Yeah. He was close. Aiming wasn't too hard."

Erwin felt his protective urges rising like a siege, and he lowered his brows. "He tried something with you. Something more than what should have been expected. Am I wrong?"

Levi glanced away, his dark, thin brows knitting. "He was fine at the start of it. He snorted something at the party though. He insisted he wasn't fucked up, and he seemed all right. Then he dropped me off and he asked if he could come up for a nightcap."

Levi met Erwin's eyes again. "Just so you know, I never do this for clients. I don't know why the hell I did it this time, except I was hungry and distracted. I let him come in, and he got too familiar. Told him to stop. He didn't. He hit me and—"

"Where?" Erwin demanded, his thundering voice surprising even himself. He cleared his throat, scanning Levi up and down with his eyes. He saw no evidence of bruising. "Where did he hit you, Levi?"

Levi briefly touched the side of his left jaw. "Here. He was high. Didn't know what he was doing. Said he paid for me and I should be more generous, after all the business he's done with the club. He's not usually like this, or I'd have never agreed to the escort appointment. It got out of hand, Erwin. I didn't know who else to call."

Levi sat down heavily on the black upholstered loveseat, and he put his elbows on his knees. He bowed his head and threaded his fingers through his hair. "It just...got out of hand."

Erwin rose from the corpse slowly. He approached Levi, and he knelt before him. He placed his hands on the distressed omega's outer thighs, and he rubbed them slowly. "Levi..."

"Didn't mean to," muttered Levi. "I didn't mean to. I should have just kicked his ass and booted him out. I just...I just..."

"Shh," soothed Erwin. He reached up to grasp Levi's wrists, firm yet careful. He pulled them down, and he cupped the omega's chin to urge Levi to lift his head and look at him. That torment in those quiet gray eyes was very, very real. "I can take care of this, Levi. You defended yourself. That's all."

Levi's lower lip trembled for just one moment, and then he composed himself with a sigh. He glanced at the body. "How are you gonna take care of this?"

Erwin smiled gently at him. "I have means."

* * *

About a half an hour later, Connie Springer and Mikasa Ackerman arrived on the scene with Oluo Bozado. Oluo started to ask about where the body was when he walked in the door, but then he nearly tripped on it. He squatted down to have a look, and then he met Erwin's gaze.

"Local?"

Erwin shook his head. He'd already questioned Levi on the details as the stripper knew them. The man only visited the club two or three times a year while in town on business, and he usually always requested a private dance from Levi. "Out of town. He's got no family here; only business associates. Let's not leave any loose ends, though."

"I agree completely," said Bozado. He got to his feet. "Okay you two, pick it up and move it to the bathroom. Where _is_ the bathroom, by the way?"

"Second door to the left down the hallway," answered Levi softly. He was staring at the floor, and Erwin's coat was still draped around him.

"Yeah, we got this," grunted Connie as he hoisted the corpse at the feet, while Mikasa took the shoulders. "Man, he's already stiff!"

"That's why they call them 'stiff's', kid," chuckled Bozado. He caught the look in Erwin's eyes, and he followed the two young soldiers down the hall, taking his cue.

"Hey, we didn't bring in the acid solution," Connie called from the bathroom.

"I'll get it from the car," said Mikasa. "Don't forget to cover up your mouth and nose."

Levi turned in his seat on the couch to regard Erwin. "Acid solution?"

Erwin nodded. "An extremely potent one. It's the best way to dispose of the evidence completely. Unfortunately, your apartment is going to stink for a couple of days afterwards."

Levi swallowed, lowering his gaze. "I can air it out, I guess."

Knowing what was coming next, Erwin stood up and he offered Levi his hand. "Come. You shouldn't stay here tonight, Levi. If you don't want to go home with me, I can take you wherever you like. I'll even book you a nice hotel suite for a couple of days, if you like."

Levi accepted his hand, and he tugged Erwin's coat tighter about himself with his free hand as he got up. "I've never seen your place. I'm fine with going there, if you're offering."

A bit surprised, Erwin studied the dancer's attractive profile. Levi's eyes were slightly dilated in a telling way. The poor thing was still in shock. He put an arm around the smaller man and he guided him toward the door that Mikasa had just gone out. "Oh," he said, stopping. "You should pack a few changes of clothes before we go. You're welcome to wear anything of mine, of course, but..."

Erwin smirked, looking his companion up and down and imagining how he'd swim in any of his clothing.

"Shit, I'd look like a kid playing 'dress up' from his old man's closet," Levi postulated. "Okay, I'll grab some things. Be right back."

"You should close your door and roll up a towel to stuff beneath it," suggested Erwin. "That will deter the fumes from reaching your bedroom, at least."

"Good call," Levi said over his shoulder. "Thanks."

* * *

Levi was especially quiet during the car ride to Erwin's luxury apartment. Erwin kept one arm around him, and he spoke to him softly the whole way there. It was all nonsensical chatter, really. He was simply doing his best to keep the dancer's thoughts distracted from what had happened. He didn't ask Levi for further details concerning the incident. He'd gotten all the information he needed and Levi had been through enough for one night.

They arrived at the apartment building, and they took the elevator to the top floor. Erwin let his guest go in first, and he followed behind him and locked up. He watched as the dancer walked a few feet into the foyer and had a look around at the expansive living room area.

"Wow," Levi said, eyeing the circular fireplace set in the middle of the room. He set his backpack full of clothes and personal toiletries down against the wall, and he strode to the brown leather modular sofa arranged around the fireplace. He sat down on it, bouncing a little. "I must have a lack of imagination, because I couldn't even picture what your place might look like. It suits you, though. It's...elegant."

Erwin smiled softly at him, and he went to the bar near the sliding glass door leading out to the balcony. "I'll make you a drink. I'm sure you could use one. As I recall, your favorite two cocktails are a Bloody Mary and a Tequila Sunrise. Which would you prefer, Levi?"

"A Bloody—wait...no. Make it a Sunrise." Levi shivered again, and he stared dully at the fireplace.

Understanding why he might shy away from a drink with the word "blood" in the title, Erwin began to mix Levi's requested cocktail. For himself, he poured a glass of brandy. He brought the drinks over to the couch and he sat down beside his companion, offering Levi's cocktail to him. It took a second for the dancer to snap out of it and take his drink with a nod of thanks. Erwin watched him with studious blue eyes as Levi took a few deep swallows of the cocktail.

"This is good," approved Levi softly, licking his lips. "Thanks."

"I'll make you as many as you like," promised Erwin, "and if you get too smashed to walk, I'll carry you to bed. There's no need to pace yourself tonight."

"Tch. Trying to get me drunk and take advantage?" There was a teasing note in Levi's voice, and his little smirk faded quickly as he studied the colorful orange-red liquid in his glass. "It shouldn't have happened. I shouldn't have let him come up when he asked. I knew he was tweaking. The guy was acting like a douchebag, but he didn't deserve death."

"Is it the first time you've ever killed anyone?" Erwin murmured.

Levi shook his head. "No, but it's the first time I ever killed a man that didn't really have it coming."

Erwin put an arm around him. "Things got out of control. You were defending yourself, Levi. It was an accident."

He did wonder how a meat fork happened to be the closest weapon in Levi's reach in the living room. Why would it be sitting around there, instead of in the kitchen? Something about this just didn't add up, but Erwin didn't want to interrogate his love interest that way. He wasn't a man of the law. He wasn't trying to solve a crime. He was in fact working to cover it up so that Levi wouldn't get arrested. Whatever may have happened that the dancer wasn't sharing with him, Erwin considered unimportant. Levi was safe, and if Erwin's people did their job right, he wouldn't face prison time.

"Try not to think about it," urged the mafia boss. "What's done is done, and it wasn't premeditated. You're safe now, and I intend to keep you that way."

Levi looked at him, studying his face quietly for a moment. "You're being so fucking nice, and I've been nothing but an ass to you lately."

Erwin chuckled. "You _are_ rather a handful, I admit. That sass of yours is part of what draws me to you though." He set his drink down on the glass-top coffee table, and he cupped Levi's chin in his hand. He closed in to deliver a soft kiss on the omega's pouty lips. "Perhaps I'm just a glutton for punishment."

"No shit," mumbled Levi when their lips parted.

He hesitated for a moment, and then he seemed to come to a decision. He put his drink down next to Erwin's, and he cupped the back of the alpha's head to draw him in for another kiss. A bit surprised, Erwin returned it. Levi's mouth parted, and his tongue slipped past Erwin's lips. Again surprised, Erwin caressed it with his own. The kiss became heated...sensual.

"Wait, Levi," gasped Erwin. He'd gained a true respect for this man, and after the things Levi had been through in his life, he didn't want to be on the list of people to take advantage of the dancer. Bad enough that he regularly marked him with questionable consent. "Your frame of mind right now is—"

"I'm fine," Levi assured him. He kissed him again, and he smoothly straddled Erwin's lap. He started rubbing against him erotically, his omega scent filling Erwin's nostrils. "Make me forget about it, you blond giant."

Not even a man of Erwin's careful self control could resist such an open request from such a beautiful omega. He cupped Levi's hips and he kissed him deeply, his groin throbbing and swelling in his designer pants. If Levi Ackerman needed to be made love to in order to distract him from the horror of what had happened, then Erwin was more than ready to comply.

* * *

Levi wasn't truly in the mood for sex when he made his move on Erwin. He'd initiated it more to reward the man for coming to his rescue when he had nobody else he could turn to. He'd counted on his body reacting as it always did to Erwin's kisses and touches, and he wasn't let down. As soon as the alpha's hands cupped his ass, Levi sprung a boner. He felt some relief at that, because Erwin was an observant sort, and mafia boss or not, he was too much of a gentleman to keep going if he thought Levi wasn't feeling the moment. The kiss deepened, became more intense. The glide of Erwin's tongue against Levi's made the omega's pulse race. He lifted his arms for his companion when Erwin started to tug his sweater up over his head. Within moments, Levi was bare-chested and Erwin's palms stroked his chest and abs with possessive enthusiasm.

"How easily you get me stirred up," husked Erwin against Levi's lips.

Undulating slowly on the bigger man's lap, Levi responded breathlessly. "Back at you."

Erwin's fingertips traced the omega's nipples, making them draw tight and tingle. Levi shivered in reaction to the pleasure invoked by the touch. His stomach did a little flip, and he felt slippery moisture gathering between his ass cheeks. He was frankly surprised he hadn't had a heat yet since he and Erwin fucked. Sometimes all the man had to do was look at him to make him wet, which was a little embarrassing when he was performing on stage. Alphas seemed to like it when he produced slick, though. Levi even caught sight of one man rubbing his crotch last week, apparently forgetting that he wasn't the only person in the audience watching Levi dance.

"Fuck, I need to get my pants off," murmured Levi as his underwear started getting soaked.

"I'm trying to accommodate that," purred Erwin. He got Levi's belt undone, and he unzipped his fly. "Stand up for a moment."

Levi complied, getting off of the blond's lap to stand before him. Erwin yanked his pants down, followed by his briefs. Levi stepped out of the garment, and he raised a brow at the alpha now devouring his nudity with his eyes. "You work fast."

"I've good reason to be in a hurry," excused Erwin. He got up, and he cupped Levi's ass, lifting the smaller man against him. "I'll try to slow it down."

"Don't," ordered Levi, wrapping his thighs around Erwin's waist and putting his arms around his neck. "Now's not the time to go slow. I'm already wet as hell for you."

Erwin stroked the pucker of Levi's entrance with a finger, testing the amount of slick he'd produced. "So you are," he hummed, and he kissed Levi deeply. He started to carry the dancer out of the living room and down one of the hallways.

"You really are heavier than you look," observed Erwin with a smirk, breaking the kiss. "It must be due to all of this tight muscle on this sweet frame of yours."

"Too much talking," Levi nearly whined. "Not enough fucking."

Erwin laughed with delight, and he shoved his bedroom door all the way open with his foot. "You have no filter at all, do you?"

"Nope." Levi was un-apologetic about speaking whatever was on his mind without censoring himself. "Would you rather me be coy, Erwin?"

Erwin shook his head, and he pushed Levi up against the bedroom wall, grinding between his thighs. "I always know where I stand with you. I find that refreshing."

Levi was already aware of that. From the moment they first met and he'd opened his mouth to speak, Erwin had been visibly impressed with his honesty—even when Levi insulted him. The omega traced his alpha's lips with the tip of his tongue, teasing him erotically before letting Erwin's tongue go into his mouth again. He gave a little start at his own thought process.

 _His alpha_? He'd never really thought of it in those terms before, even when Erwin boldly told him that he intended to make him his omega. Levi had always been more than a little reluctant to tie himself down to one person that way. There was no denying the magnetism between the two of them though, and his heart and soul knew what his mind tried to deny so desperately.

He was Erwin's, and Erwin was his. It was surprisingly easy to accept once he said it in his head. Many omegas went their whole lives without meeting the mate destined for them by fate. Some settled for someone else, and some kept searching for that special person, hoping that the soul recognition would hit them like lightning with the next alpha they met and let them know this was the _one_.

Levi couldn't decide if he was lucky or doomed. His body was demanding Erwin's cock though, and the sense of urgency was so strong it made him pant. He wasn't ready to share his revelation with his partner yet, wasn't ready to admit it aloud because it was a little terrifying to finally give into it. Erwin didn't need to know his conclusion yet. Levi would tell him when he felt it was safe to do so. For now, he just wanted their bodies to join together again.

Keeping one arm around the blond's neck, Levi reached down to undo Erwin's belt and get his pants open. The man was driving him crazy, rubbing that huge bulge against him like that. Once he got the belt undone, he palmed Erwin's package and gave it a welcoming squeeze. The blond's low growl was his reward for his fondling, and Levi knew with abrupt certainty that they weren't even going to make it to the bed.

"Want you," he gasped, his lips wet with their mingled saliva. A flash of memory went through his mind, and for a moment, he saw his victim's dead, staring eyes in his imagination again. He ruthlessly choked it off, yanking his thoughts out of the moment and focusing them on the hot blond god pinning him up against the wall. Erwin. He was with Erwin. That's all that mattered right now.

"Levi," panted Erwin as the dancer got his pants undone and eased his erection out of them. He pushed into Levi's hand as he stroked his length. His cock was trickling precum, attesting that the alpha was more than ready to fuck. It made Levi dizzy.

"Put it in," he moaned. "Don't make me wait, big guy."

Levi angled his pelvis as best he could, and he guided the flushed, swollen length to his hole. When he felt the tip butting against his entrance, he relaxed himself down there as much as possible, and he put his arm around Erwin's neck again for support. "Do me, you bastard."

"Fuck," breathed Erwin, easing himself in to the tip. "Levi...you're making me go into rut."

"Yeah?" Levi smirked. While he had yet to experience another heat since they hooked up, this would be the second time he'd gotten Erwin so worked up that he went into rut. He wondered if this was destined to happen every time they had sex. Apparently the blond wanted him just that badly, and both times he got him, it put him into a mating frenzy. Levi had actually been missing that experience. It _still_ made him weak in the knees when he recalled how it had felt to be knotted for the first time. God, he'd never came so fucking hard in his life.

"I guess this is going to be a long night for us, then."

"Yes," agreed Erwin in a lust-roughened voice. "It is. You may not be able to perform tomorrow if you're due to go back to work."

With that said, the alpha kissed him hard and rocked his hips, pushing his thick length deeper into Levi's body. The omega couldn't contain a whimper as he stretched to accommodate the other man's size. Just as before, took a little finesse in the beginning because Erwin was so big, but omega bodies were designed to adjust to it. Levi sucked in a slow breath, his tongue fencing with Erwin's as he resisted the urge to clench up. Deeper the alpha's sex slid, and deeper still even when Levi thought it was all the way in. He curled his fingers into Erwin's golden hair, aching deliciously inside from the breach.

Finally, Erwin was fully seated in him. He held it steady there and he broke this kiss to lick and suck at Levi's throat as the omega adjusted to the penetration. "You feel so amazing," murmured Erwin breathlessly. He kissed Levi's jaw, and once the tightness gripping him eased up enough, he withdrew and thrust slowly back in. Levi's breath caught, and he threw his head back.

"Ow, fuck," complained the omega when he struck the back of his head against the wall.

"I heard that thunk," gasped Erwin. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah. Don't stop," pleaded Levi. The pleasure of their joining was drowning out the pain of hitting his head.

"Try to avoid...giving yourself a concussion," grunted the alpha as he began to pump steadily. "I'd...rather not have to...take you to the emergency room."

"No kidding," gasped Levi. "Mmm...your dick feels so fucking good."

He stopped talking after that, because Erwin's thrusts came harder and he was hitting that sweet spot inside of Levi with each one. It was all the omega could do to catch his breath, let alone hold further conversation. He started to moan and whimper, his breath coming in quick, sharp pants with each insistent pump. Erwin Smith really knew how to use his cock. The last alpha Levi had fucked was a bit disappointing. The man had relied on the size of his junk too much, and he had no technique. To be with an alpha that was not only well-hung, but aware of how to find the best angle and sensitive to his partner's reactions was a treat.

"Er...win," groaned Levi. It was happening already. He shuddered and dropped his forehead to his alpha's muscular shoulder, tensing and grunting as he started to come. His release smeared between their shifting torsos, his cock twitching against Erwin's stomach. "Hah...fuck...so good," Levi panted. He kissed the corners of Erwin's mouth, sighing in relief.

Erwin paused in his thrusting for a moment, kissing Levi as he recovered from his orgasm. Once it ebbed away, Erwin started thrusting again. His pace became a bit more erratic, almost desperate. The alpha's groans filled Levi's ears, and sweat began to bead on his skin. Levi started to harden again, reacting not only to the pleasure of Erwin's pumping cock hitting his prostate, but also to the carnal sounds the man was making. He was close. Levi slid a hand down to pinch Erwin's nipples one at a time, and then he fondled them.

"Give it to me, hot stuff," Levi panted encouragingly. He was so eager to feel Erwin's cum filling him up. He was probably the first partner Levi had been with in years that got him so hot by coming inside of him. He used to insist his partners pull out before blowing their load. Not so with Erwin. There was something so damned satisfying about feeling the man spurt inside of him.

Erwin gave a husky exclamation as he drove into Levi one final time, and his built frame shuddered tellingly. That hot, wet spurt Levi had been waiting for happened, and the omega closed his eyes and reveled in it. He braced himself as Erwin's cock began to expand further, pressing hard against Levi's sweet spot. He thought he was prepared for being knotted again, but how wrong he was. The memory of how it felt was pale in comparison to experiencing the reality once more.

"Fuck," moaned Levi, his eyes popping open and going blank. He clung to his lover and he started whimpering helplessly, his groin abruptly pulling completely taut. He started coming again, and it went on and on. Panting helplessly, he ran his tongue over his teeth just to be sure they were still normal, and when he confirmed it, he bit down on Erwin's shoulder. He didn't mean to draw blood, but as soon as he tasted the tinny flavor against his tongue, he instinctively started licking and sucking at the spot. Erwin tasted as good as he felt. Levi shut his eyes, sure that they were probably glowing reflectively now.

* * *

Erwin thought nothing of it when his omega bit him and then started licking and sucking at the wound. He hardly even felt the pain in his sexual bliss. He wanted to see Levi's face. He eased away from the wall with his lover, and he carried him carefully over to the bed, mindful not to lose his hold on him or jostle him, since he was still knotted inside of him. He eased Levi down onto the king-sized platform bed, leaving the omega's legs dangling over the side of it. Erwin hunched over him, and he caressed Levi's sweaty, flushed face with the back of his knuckles. His eyes were closed, and he was still gasping for breath and clenching rhythmically around Erwin's impaling length.

"Levi," husked the blond, "look at me."

The omega's eyes remained shut. "Why?" he panted.

"Because I want you to," Erwin said simply. He didn't usually exert his alpha influence on Levi, preferring not to boss him around. He was determined to look into his eyes when he continued making love to him, though. "Open your eyes and look at me, beautiful."

As if compelled to obey, Levi's eyes fluttered open sleepily. He regarded Erwin with an odd sort of wariness, and the blond went utterly still.

"Your eyes," Erwin murmured, admittedly startled. As intense as Levi's stare already was, it was doubly so, now. His eyes were actually _glowing_ , almost like a cat's in headlights. He'd never seen the phenomenon before, outside of special effect contact lenses. He knew damned will his lover hadn't popped a pair of contact lenses on while they were having sex. The previous moments he'd thought he saw an unusual flash in Levi's eyes had always occurred so quickly that he thought it was just his imagination. Now he knew otherwise.

Levi looked away. "Yeah. My eyes. I can't help it. Why do you think I asked you to wear the blindfold the last time we fucked?"

"I thought you were just being kinky," mused Erwin. He clenched his jaw as his knot started to shrink, his body urging him to keep mating. He needed to understand this, though. "Is this some sort of visual medical condition?"

"Not exactly, no." Levi sighed, and he closed his eyes briefly before looking at Erwin again. "I really didn't want you to find out, but I know what a determined bastard you can be, so..."

Levi parted his lips, revealing his straight, white teeth. Right before Erwin's eyes, the canine teeth on the top and bottom elongated into sharp, long fangs. The alpha's blue eyes went wide, and his brain refused to process what he was seeing.

"Christ...Levi, what in the hell? Is this some sort of prank? How did you do that?"

"It's not a prank," answered the omega softly, his words faintly distorted by the extended fangs. They retracted again, shrinking down to ordinary human sized canine teeth. "Don't tell me you've never heard of vampires."

"Well yes, in _mythology_." Erwin felt the insane urge to laugh, and he knew he was at risk of going into shock. "Show me again. I need to process this."

Levi sighed, and he obeyed. Erwin stroked a thumb over the omega's upper lip, and he carefully brushed the pad of it against the right upper fang. It was sharp, like a small dagger. It was real. He had his dick inside a real live vampire.

"You have a heartbeat," he reasoned, resting his palm over Levi's chest just to be sure he hadn't imagined it. The steady, rapid thumps beneath his hand assured him that Levi's heart did indeed beat...and he was scared. Erwin could sense that fear radiating from his lover, even though Levi's face was deceptively calm.

"Yeah. Vamps aren't actually undead like the books and movies say we are."

"You've been out in the daylight," Erwin went on softly. "Granted, not often, but I've seen you outside in full sunlight before."

Levi nodded. "Lucky me, my family line happens to be day walkers. Some vamp bloodlines can't go out in the sunlight without getting severely sunburned within in moments, but we can. It just drains us if we stay out in daylight for too long. I get migraines from it...hurts my eyes, too. That's why I've always got shades on when I go outside during the day."

"Are you saying it's hereditary?" Erwin frowned. Suddenly Mikasa's skills made more sense. She was an Ackerman like Levi, though he couldn't be sure she was actually related to him by blood.

"It's hereditary, yeah," answered Levi. "Anyone with real Ackerman blood is almost guaranteed to be a vampire, and yes, that includes your girl Mikasa."

"I'll be goddamned," muttered Erwin. "Are you certain? Has she told you?"

"Doesn't need to." Levi shrugged. "We can sense our own kind. I knew it the minute I met her, and she knew about me, too. I could see it in her eyes."

Erwin lowered his gaze in thought. That meant that Kenny was also a vampire. He looked at Levi's dangling earring, and he touched it. "You wear crosses."

"So what? Lots of people do."

"I thought vampires were supposed to hate crosses," reasoned Erwin.

"Look, just forget about all you think you know about vampires, all right? Mostly all of it's just bullshit. The only thing totally accurate in those legends is that we need to feed on blood to survive. If we don't get enough of it, we can slip into a coma and die. We have a pulse, we have reflections, and we aren't immortal. We just age a lot better than normal humans."

"I see." Erwin took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. If Levi wanted to drain him, he would have done it by now. God knew he'd had plenty of opportunities. "What about a stake through the heart? Would that kill you?"

Levi gave him an exasperated look. "That would kill _anyone_ , you idiot."

Despite the shock he was feeling over this discovery, Erwin laughed at that. "I'm just trying to understand more, Levi. You are my omega, so of course I want to learn as much as possible about your...condition."

"Stop talking like it's a disease," admonished Levi. "I'm no sicker than you are."

"Of course," Erwin said graciously, unwilling to upset Levi. "I misspoke. Give me some grace. I've just made love to a vampire and I think I'm taking this rather well."

"Yeah, you really are," murmured Levi, the glow in his eyes finally fading. He frowned up at Erwin suspiciously. "You okay, or what? Most other guys would probably have run away screaming by now."

"I'm not most other guys," Erwin said. He withdrew gently from the omega's body, still fully erect. His cock ached for more, but Erwin was a stubborn creature, and he didn't intend to keep going until he reassured both himself and Levi that this would change nothing between them. He helped Levi situate his limbs so that he was lying full-length on the bed, and he got on with him, urging him to scoot back a little to make some room.

"So...I guess this means you're done with me," whispered Levi, glancing down at Erwin's obvious state of arousal. "You should get someone to take care of that, if you don't want to keep doing it with me."

"If I intended to let you go, I wouldn't be here lying beside you," Erwin countered. He ran a hand over Levi's side, resting it on his hip. "I just want to know more before we continue. Believe me, I'm nowhere _near_ finished with you tonight."

"Oh." Levi blinked, his expression revealing a blend of surprise and relief. "So you still want me?"

"Absolutely. More than anything." Erwin smirked at him, propping himself up on one elbow. Greatly daring, he closed in to give Levi a soft kiss on the lips. "How could I settle for another omega, after having you? They would never live up to my expectations."

Levi relaxed. "What do you want to know, then? Ask me anything."

Erwin grimaced slightly. "You aren't going to like the question, but that man you got into the...incident with tonight. It wasn't the meat fork that caused his death, was it?"

"No. I bit him." Levi lowered his gaze with a frown. "It was instinctive. When he wouldn't get his hands off me, I just...went for the jugular. I didn't mean it to go that far. When I realized I'd drained him to death, I used the meat fork to cover up the truth. Didn't think you'd buy it, but you didn't question me."

"I understand." Erwin stroked Levi's hair soothingly. "I'm sorry you had to do that, and I'm sorry to bring it up again."

Levi shrugged, and he met the blond's eyes again. "I'll get over it, eventually. What else do you want to know?"

"Where have you been getting blood from for all this time?" Erwin thought of how Levi sometimes looked pale, and other times appeared to have a light tan. "You've obviously been feeding fairly regularly. Do you hypnotize your clientele with those stunning eyes of yours, feed on them and then make them forget?"

"I don't have 'hypno eyes'. Heh. Stop falling back on myths. I've just got exceptional night vision. The glow is related to that. As for my supplier...it's Eren."

"Eren Jaeger?" Erwin's brows lifted. Now that he thought of it, he recalled Levi feeling sick one day while he was visiting the club, and Eren took him into the office. When they'd come back out, Levi had color in his cheeks again and Eren was wearing that cravat around his throat. Now it made sense.

"Yeah. Eren's the only one at the club besides Kenny that knows. He didn't take it as well as you did, when he found out. I'd gone for too many days without feeding, and he caught me draining the blood from a raw steak and drinking it out of desperation."

Levi shook his head, smirking a little. "I had to chase that kid down five fucking blocks before he finally ran out of steam and fell on his face. Shit, can he run fast. Of course, I was weak from lack of blood and sun exposure, or I'd have caught up with him sooner."

Erwin pictured the moment, and he couldn't help but smile. He didn't mind much that Levi turned to another omega for his feeding needs. Had it been an alpha or beta male, he would have been jealous, he was sure. "Go on. What did he think, when he saw you doing that? Did he know immediately that you were a vampire?"

"Nah. He thought I was some kind of cultist with a crazy blood fetish. Maybe he thought I was going to cut him and do some sort of ritual, I don't know. I had to drag him into an alley and explain everything to him. Had to cover up his mouth with my hand to keep the brat from yelling for help, too. It took me about an hour to calm him down and convince him I wasn't going to suck him dry."

"I'll bet," Erwin said dryly. He'd entertained just such a fear himself, mere moments ago. "What convinced him to make this feeding arrangement with you? Did you ask, or did he offer?"

"He offered." Levi sighed. "Even as scared shitless as he was of me at the time, when I started getting dizzy and coming close to passing out, he offered his throat to me. Jaeger's got some balls, that's for sure. Kid has a big heart, too."

Erwin nodded. He'd come to the same conclusion. He ran his hand over Levi's chest and stomach, admiring the muscle tone. His alpha urges were fast becoming overwhelming, and he didn't know how much longer he could put off relieving them further. Levi seemed to pick up on that, and he reached up to put his hands on Erwin's shoulders. He parted his thighs invitingly, and that glow briefly flashed in his eyes.

"Had enough questions for now?" purred Levi. "You're not scared of me, are you?"

Erwin stared at him. God, was he a sight to behold. Vampire or human, he knew this man was meant for him. "No. I'm not afraid of you."

Erwin stretched out on top of Levi, and he supported his weight on one elbow while reaching down between the press of their bodies with his other hand to stroke the omega's length. It was half soft now, but it firmed up in his hand within moments. Erwin kissed Levi, proving he had no fear of him when he slipped his tongue into his mouth to caress Levi's. He wanted to make the bond with him...wanted to seal it and ensure Levi was his, and only his. Erwin wasn't quite ready yet though, and he knew Levi wasn't, either. Both of them were skittish about commitment, so he resisted his instincts and settled for what they had now, for the time being.

"Oh," Levi moaned, tossing his head as the alpha stopped stroking him, positioned himself at his entrance and slid inside of him.

"Are you all right?" Erwin gasped, fighting his impulse to start pounding away at him immediately. The breach wasn't as tight as it had been the first time he entered him tonight. Levi was still loosened from their earlier activities, so he shouldn't be in any pain.

"Better than all right," answered the omega, combing his fingers through Erwin's hair. "Just feels so fucking amazing every time you put it inside of me."

Erwin smiled. Sometimes Levi's honesty could be quite brutal, but when he paid a man a compliment, it was hugely rewarding.

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the (not so subtle) mystery is revealed! I'm sure most readers already guessed. ;-)
> 
> I really don't know what possessed me to add vampirism to this story; it could have done just fine without it. I just got a sudden need to be extra weird, and I ran with it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warning: Graphic het scene. The song: "Danger! High Voltage!" belongs to Electric Six.

"Crap. I'm late. I'm fucking _late_!" Eren yanked his sweater on over his head, and he hopped one-footed as he tugged his winter boots on. "Kenny's gonna have my ass on a platter. Oh, shit!"

Eren lost his balance and he went down in a heap on his living room floor. Wincing, he rubbed his aching tailbone, and he hoped it wasn't going to bruise up too badly. That was just what he needed to boost his career; a huge bruise on his ass. With a grunt, the young man reached for his other boot and put it on, and then he got painfully back to his feet and snatched up his cell phone from the arm of his couch. He went through the contacts list and he picked the first number of one of his coworkers that came up. He didn't realize his error until Jean's voice came on the other line. There was techno music playing in the background.

"What do you want, Jaeger?" asked the bartender, half-shouting to be heard over the music. "I'm busy working!"

"Uh...I'm late," explained Eren. "I meant to call someone else."

In fact, he'd almost called Levi because he was at the top of his contact list, but he remembered it was the head dancer's night off. It was _not_ a good idea to call him with his problems and piss him off.

"What do you want me to do about that?" Jean demanded.

"Well, I was kind of hoping someone would distract the boss for me to sneak in through the back," admitted Eren. "I was going to try and make it look like I've been in the dressing room instead of ten or more minutes late."

Jean's voice was nastily amused. "What would you give me if I did that, Eren? I don't go for dick, so sucking me off isn't an option."

"Go fuck yourself," snapped Eren. "Like I'd suck _your_ cock, horse-face."

"Good luck with Kenny, asshole." Jean hung up the phone, and Eren knew beyond a doubt that the bartender was likely going to inform Kenny that Eren was running late. There was no point in trying to reach any of his other coworkers. Mina, Sasha or Reiner probably would have covered for him if he'd thought to call them first. He cursed himself for scrolling right past their names and setting himself up for failure by dialing Jean by mistake.

"Well, I guess I'd better just face the music," sighed the dancer. Sometimes he wondered if he subconsciously enjoyed getting in trouble.

* * *

Mikasa sighed and checked her watch. It had been over five minutes since Kenny went into his office to get the money he owed her organization. Maybe he was short again and he was back there trying to swindle tips from his dancers again to make up the difference. She scowled at the thought. Erwin had warned him that if he found out he was doing that, there would be consequences. He'd left it at that, allowing the previous club owner and current manager to use his imagination. The one good thing about being kept waiting was the possibility of seeing a certain green-eyed young man get up on the stage to perform. She knew Eren's work schedule, so she knew he must be there tonight.

"Here you go," said the perky redheaded waitress that had taken Mikasa's drink order. "One Pina Colada with a double-shot, on the house!"

Mikasa offered her a little smile, recalling her name as she tasted the cocktail and found it to her liking. "Thanks, Isabel. Do you have any idea what's taking your boss so long to bring my collection?"

Isabel sighed, glancing over her shoulder at the door leading to the office and the VIP rooms. "Well, don't tell _him_ I said this, but I think the boss is short again. He's probably looking for something to give you for compensation."

Mikasa stirred her drink, and she scowled again. "That's what I thought."

_~He could give me Eren Jaeger as compensation.~_

The minute the thought crossed her mind, Mikasa gave herself a mental slap. She flushed at the direction of her own thoughts, and she berated herself. These omega strippers had been through hell and back. They'd already been bartered, traded and sterilized like animals. As if they hadn't been objectified enough, here she was thinking that way.

As if summoned by her troubled thoughts, the very stripper on her mind came barging in through the main entry door. The bang startled Mikasa enough to look up and see Eren charging through the club with a decidedly panicked look on his handsome face. Seeing that he stood the risk of running one of the patrons over if he didn't watch where he was going, Mikasa got out of her booth and she blocked his way.

"Slow down," she told him, and he skidded to a halt. Those beautiful eyes of his were wide with anxiety, and Mikasa wanted to punch whomever had made him look like that. "What's your hurry?"

"Oh...hi," he said. He looked her up and down, and he stuck his hands in his pockets in a poor attempt to look casual. "I'm just late. Like... _really_ late, and Kenny's real scary when he gets mad at us for being late for a shift."

"Oh?" Mikasa smirked. "Well, you don't need to worry."

_~Cutie.~_

"Your boss has other things on his mind, right now," finished the alpha female.

"Oh really?" Eren sighed with relief and rolled his eyes. "Thank _God_."

Mikasa almost said he was welcome, but that seemed too arrogant even for her. "Just go ahead, clock in and get ready for your set. I'll handle Kenny."

Eren seemed so grateful. Those expressive eyes lit up, and for a minute, Mikasa thought he might kiss her. "Thanks, Miss Ackerman. You just saved my life."

She resisted a chuckle. "I think you're exaggerating a bit, but you're welcome. And just call me Mikasa."

 _~If that creep lays a finger on you, I'll rip his throat out._ ~

None of her thoughts showed in her calm expression, however.

Eren gave her a dazzling smile that made her heart skip a beat. "Thanks, Mikasa! I'd better get going."

Mikasa and Isabel both watched as Eren hurried to the back, slipping past people with much more grace than he'd used when he first arrived. Isabel leaned close to the taller female and she spoke into her ear.

"You know, you could always request a free private dance from Eren. Those things are expensive, and it might make up for whatever cash the boss still owes you."

Mikasa glanced at the redheaded beta sharply. Isabel was smiling in a crafty manner. How she'd managed to see through Mikasa's mask and guess she had a huge crush on Jaeger, the alpha couldn't know. It was such a tempting thought, but she forced herself to think practically.

"I can't line my boss's coffers with a dance," Mikasa sighed. "Kenny's going to have to do better than that."

Isabel gave a shrug, and she took the pen she kept propped on her ear, looking around for the next customer to serve. "Suit yourself. It was just a thought."

Mikasa sat back down as the waitress left, and she nursed her drink with a thoughtful look in her eyes. Maybe she should start saving up just to splurge on one of those private dances.

* * *

Eren came out on the stage a short while later as his dance song of choice came on. Dressed in a tear-away fireman uniform, he smiled as Farlan announced him.

"Now give it up for Jaegerbomb!" A siren sound effect went off, and Farlan finished: "Careful with this fireman; he might make that blaze even hotter when he arrives on the scene!"

The song _"Danger! High Voltage!"_ came on as Eren pranced out onto the stage toward the stripper pole. He looked out at the audience from beneath the brim of his fireman's hat—which was actually authentic. He'd received it as a gift from an admirer from the fire department when he told the guy he'd always wanted to be a fireman when he was a kid. As usual, his audience was immediately enraptured. The only dancers besides himself that could practically cause broken necks from people's heads swiveling toward the stage were Levi and Petra. It didn't even matter if males were to a patron's taste; Eren was just such a good dancer they couldn't help but be riveted by his performance.

Now if only his grace on the stage could translate to other activities. Eren smirked self- depreciatingly as he rubbed up against the dancer pole suggestively, winking at a guy sitting at the edge of the stage with a decidedly smitten look on his face. Eren wasn't egotistical, but he wasn't oblivious to his popularity, either. He took his hat off, and he tossed it behind him at the stage entrance with care, not wanting to damage it. He hopped up on the pole and started to spin, one leg hooked around the object. He almost faltered when he caught sight of a familiar face that reminded him of a porcelain doll's, staring up at him from between two women seated near the stage.

_~Oh my God, she's still here? Where the hell is Kenny? He should have paid her by now.~_

It was a terrible thought, and it was only brought about by Mikasa Ackerman's effect on him. He _always_ had trouble concentrating when she watched him dance. She was so pretty, and she smelled really nice. Her eyes were like twin pools of midnight, mysterious and sedate. He always felt like she was caressing him with those eyes when she watched him...but he told himself it was just wishful thinking. Why would a girl like her go for a guy like him? He took his clothes off for money. He didn't yet know Mikasa all that well, but he felt like she had too much class to consider a stripper for a boyfriend.

Eren felt his concentration slipping as those enigmatic, dark eyes continued to follow his every move. His hands slipped on the pole as his palms started to sweat, and he berated himself.

_~Be cool. Just be cool. She's just watching you like everyone else. Quit acting like a dork and pay attention to what you're doing!~_

Eren slid back down the pole, and he tugged on his suspenders. He called out to the audience, interacting with them in his usual friendly, inviting way. "Should I take it off?"

* * *

Mikasa very nearly yelled "yes" to Eren's question; that was how damned good he was. Personally, she thought he was the best of all the dancers _because_ he was so interactive with his audience. Yes, Levi was more mysterious and over all sensual. Petra was a delicate beauty, with her butterfly and faerie themed outfits. Eren, however, was the only one of all the strippers that actually talked to his audience while he performed for them. Mikasa found it absurdly cute and sweet.

Her fellow patrons spoke up where she refused to, cheering and urging Eren on with smiles and laughter.

"Okay, but just this once," Eren teased, grinning. He slipped out of the suspenders, his hips rolling in time with the beat of the music.

"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting, chickadee," Kenny's voice said into her ear.

Mikasa very nearly punched him—not because he'd kept her waiting, but because he'd chosen _now_ of all times to do business with her. The crass man slipped something into her blazer pocket, and Mikasa reached in with a distracted frown to feel the wad of cash.

"You were supposed to do the exchange in your office," she said coldly to the man, glancing sidelong at him. She had to tilt her head a bit to look up at the narrow, whiskered face. She hated that he was so tall. She didn't mind looking up at her boss, but with Kenny, she really would have preferred to look _down_ on him.

"Do you really think anyone in here noticed?" Kenny smirked at her. "Vampire reflexes, kiddo. I had that money in your pocket before anyone around us could see it happen. Besides, that little shit on stage has them all too distracted to pay attention to us."

Mikasa felt a growl of annoyance rising in her throat, and she stamped it out. She wasn't here to watch her impossibly handsome pretend boyfriend entice her with that hot body of his. She was there to do business. Watching Eren from the corner of her eye, she turned to face Kenny. "I need to count it. Come and sit down with me."

Kenny shrugged, and he sought out a booth. It wasn't hard to find one, seeing as everyone had crowded around the stage to watch Eren's dancing. "How about that one in the corner?" he said, pointing.

Mikasa looked, and she nodded. Together, they went to the suggested booth and sat down. "By the way," she said levelly as she pulled out the roll of money and started counting it, "don't mention our nature in front of others. I don't care _how_ distracted you think they are. We don't speak of that."

"Tch, you're a little touchy," observed Kenny. "Even if anyone heard me say it, they'd probably think I was just drunk or talking in some sort of code. Lighten up, missy."

Mikasa forced herself to keep her attention on counting out the bills. It was hard, though. From her peripheral vision, she could see Eren ripping his shirt open. She wanted to look directly at the spectacle, but she knew if she did, she would lose count. It was frankly torturous. She finally finished, and she straightened up the currency again and folded it into the clip.

"You're a thousand short."

Kenny winced a little. "Yeah. Sorry about that. It's been kind of a slow month."

Mikasa met his gaze, her expression frozen. "That's twice in a row now that you've been missing funds from the agreed sum of monthly payments. You still haven't settled up on last month's dues, either."

"I know." Kenny's eyes narrowed when Mikasa's gaze flicked back to the stage again, and he started to smile. "How about I make it up to you, sweetie?"

Mikasa looked at him again, and she blinked. "Excuse me? You have nothing I want. I'm expected to bring payment back to my boss, and whatever 'favors' you think you can compensate me with aren't going to make up for what's missing from your dues...unless you have something of equal value to nearly three-thousand dollars."

Kenny glanced slyly at the omega steadily undressing on the stage. "How about a 'favor' or two from him? Do you know how much I make when my dancers go that extra mile?"

Mikasa's eyes narrowed on him. "No. Unfortunately, we aren't getting a slice of that profit."

She found it disturbing to imagine Eren giving head to someone or fucking them for payment. Disturbing and...disappointing. He was so sweet, and he seemed somehow so innocent to her. True, he took his clothes off for money to entertain people, but she didn't picture him as the sort to sell his body willingly for another's pleasure.

Kenny seemed to realize his mistake, and he swallowed. "Okay, only a couple of my dancers are willing to do it and that part of business has been a little slow, lately. When they _do_ agree to it, I charge a thousand dollars for a blow job and fifteen-hundred for intercourse. That's a lot of bread, doll-face. I'll give you two freebies with Eren if it'll settle us up."

Mikasa gritted her teeth. She desperately wanted to kick this guy square in the crotch under the table for bartering Eren's body this way, even as she felt guilty for thinking along those lines herself, earlier. "Does Eren even do that sort of thing?"

Kenny faltered a bit. "No, not so far. Damn, you should see that glare you're giving me right now, girlie. I'm just trying to do business, here."

Mikasa felt some relief over hearing that Eren didn't sell his body like that. She felt so damned protective of him, and despite her displayed calmness, she wondered if she would have busted in on the next client and ripped them to shreds if Eren prostituted himself out to people. Blaming it on alpha hormones, she calmed herself.

"What makes you think he would agree to doing it with me, then?"

Mikasa blinked slowly, wondering why she'd even said that. She should have just outright refused. She should have told Kenny that he'd better find another way to cough up that money he owed, but instead she was probing...curious. She'd never paid for sex before. Granted, she wouldn't have to pay in this instance, but the concept of actually _hiring_ another person to gratify her would usually disgust her.

Kenny gave her another of those sly smiles that made her want to knock his teeth through the back of his skull. "I think he might make an exception for ya. I've noticed the way he looks at you. You're hot as hell, girl. Eren might be an omega, but he's got needs just like any other guy. I'm not making any promises, but if I can't convince him I'll find a way to make up the difference. Do we have a deal?"

Mikasa's heartbeat drummed almost painfully in her chest, and she looked back to the stage. Damn it, Eren was down to his thong now. Her eyes caressed all of that bronzed, toned nudity and her loins ached. She was thankful that she wore a blazer today that was long enough to cover her below the waist, because her clit was getting hard and elongating. Beta women really could not relate to what it was like to get so aroused in public. Their sexual condition wasn't obvious to the naked eye, the way males and female alpha's tended to be.

Twenty-seven hundred dollars. That was what it was going to cost her to sleep with Eren Jaeger, if she agreed to this. She would have to cover the expenses of Kenny's neglect from her own pocket. She'd been trying to save up for a new car, but sex with Eren seemed to be a more appealing notion, at the moment.

"I'll wait," Mikasa heard herself say. She wondered briefly if she was out of her mind, but then Eren took his thong off and she saw his goods swinging with his gyrations. Fuck morals. She wanted him.

* * *

A little over an hour later, Eren got called to Kenny's office. He got dressed in his regular clothes and he crossed his fingers as he knocked on the door and waited for his boss to call him in. Expecting to get shredded for being late for his shift, the omega braced himself for the worst as Kenny gestured at him to sit down. Eren complied, sitting straight-backed and tense in the chair on the other side of Kenny's desk.

"So kid, here's the deal." Kenny puffed on his cigar, eyeing the omega appraisingly. "We've got a client that wants something extra special, and they requested _you_ specifically."

Eren's expression darkened. While he always did his best to make the boss happy, there were some places he just would not go. "No."

"You sure about that?" Kenny smirked at him, and he took another puff of his cigar to blow smoke rings into the air. "I haven't even told you who the client was, yet."

"Doesn't matter," Eren said, putting his figurative foot down. "If you want someone to do that, get Hitch. I've already told you I won't."

"Not even for Mikasa Ackerman?" Kenny's smirk didn't fade. If anything, it got more pronounced.

"Mik—wait, what?" Eren's face began to heat up. "You're kidding."

"Nope. I offered her the deal tonight, when she came in to collect our dues to her boss." The alpha male shrugged, and his gray eyes watched Eren with curious interest. "I honestly didn't think she'd take the bait, but she must like you even more than I thought. I can tell you like her too, so this is a win on all sides if you go for it. What do you say, kid? Get laid with the girl you want, save me some grief and satisfy the owners of this place. I'd say that's a good deal all around, right?"

"I...I..." Eren was at a loss. His groin had already stirred at the thought of bedding that beautiful, black haired goddess. She was an alpha. He'd been with alpha females before, and he knew he might not be the one doing the entering if he slept with Mikasa. That didn't scare him. What scared him was how strong his attraction was to her. He didn't know how to deal with it. He didn't know if he could have sex with her on a casual level and then go back to life as normal. He hadn't even had the faintest clue that she shared his attraction. He'd been convincing himself that she only watched him so intently because she was just an observant person and she had nothing better at the moment to do, when she visited the club.

"Are you sure she likes me?" Eren finally said, feeling a violent attack of shyness. Shit, he was blushing.

"Do ya really think a girl like that would have agreed to my offer if she didn't?" countered Kenny. "You're a shoe-in. You could go where most guys can only dream of going, Eren. How about it?"

Just as Mikasa had done earlier, Eren found himself agreeing to do something that he ordinarily would never do. "When is this supposed to happen?"

"First encounter's tonight, after your shift."

Eren's eyes widened. "Wait, _first_ encounter? How many times am I supposed to be doing this?"

"I gave her two free rides," Kenny answered with a grin. "Plus a private dance. Together, that should more than square me up with her."

Eren started to respond to that, but then Kenny's office door banged open and Mikasa Ackerman strode in. Upon seeing Eren sitting there, she stopped and her cheeks pinkened, but she composed herself and she looked at Kenny.

"I've changed my mind," said Mikasa. "You're just going to have to find some way to come up with the money you still owe. I'll give you three days and after that, we'll start taking out the payment in your body parts."

With that said, she turned, went out the door again and slammed it behind her. Kenny and Eren sat stupified, staring at the door for a moment. Eren felt like a door of opportunity had just been slammed in his face, and he felt such acute disappointment that his stomach ached.

"Well, so much for that," Kenny sighed.

* * *

Mikasa berated herself for a coward all the way from the dance club to her boss's apartment, that evening. She shouldn't have even considered accepting that proposal in the first place, but then she chickened out of it and probably insulted Eren Jaeger in the process...if he wasn't in the process of refusing to do it when she barged in on them. Her coworkers indulged themselves once in a while. She shouldn't feel bad about considering doing the same. She knew for a fact that Connie had gotten some "special treatment" from one of the dancers at the club just last week. Mikasa just wasn't the sort of person to do that. She needed to know the other party was actually interested in her, and not just doing it for money.

But Eren wouldn't have been getting any money out of it. With that thought in mind, Mikasa felt a little better about her decision to back out of it. It would have been even worse to go for it with Eren if he wasn't getting any compensation for it. She'd made the right call. Maybe her line of work wasn't a moral one, but she did have _some_ standards.

Erwin seemed to be understanding when she turned in her collection shy of a thousand dollars. By now, the boss was used to Kenny trying to short-change them, and he informed her that he'd already gotten compensation for the last time he'd done it. He didn't elaborate on that, and she didn't ask questions. Erwin told her that if it happened again, he would send Oluo to deal with it. As frustrated as it made Mikasa to possibly need a captain to intervene, she couldn't resist a nasty smirk at the thought of what Oluo would do to Kenny as a reminder that he couldn't expect to keep missing payments and get away with it.

She went home and had an early night, and the next day she had no collections to make or jobs to do, so she decided to spend a little bit of her earnings at the fairgrounds. Mikasa wasn't usually one to visit a carnival, but she was feeling down after having come so close to being intimate with the guy she was so interested in. She bought an all-day pass with limitless rides and twenty dollars worth of food tickets. At first, she thought that was an awful lot of tickets for one person to use, but then she got to the food area and saw the prices of everything, and she realized it was just enough. She started to head for an ice cream booth. The days were starting to warm up again, and as noon approached, it started feeling more like summer than spring. They must have had a warm front move in.

As she got in line for the ice cream, she detected a familiar scent and she looked at the man in front of her. At first she suspected that her thoughts were just so full of Eren that she was imagining things, but then he turned slightly to look at one of the roller coasters in the distance, and she saw his profile.

_~Shit.~_

She didn't want him to see her, after the night before. Mikasa stared backing up, working out an escape route. Had it been night time, she could have gotten away and out of sight within seconds. Not so in the daytime. Eren caught sight of her as he glanced casually behind him, and his tanned face registered surprise.

"Mikasa?"

She bit her lower lip. There was no point in trying to hide now. She could at least attempt to retain some dignity. She relaxed her expression and she nodded. "Eren."

He smiled at her in that dazzling way, and he turned around to face her. "What are you doing here? I wouldn't pick you as the carnival type."

"Ordinarily, you would be right." Mikasa shrugged. She saw no judgment in his eyes. Maybe Kenny hadn't even had the chance to talk to him about the proposition before Mikasa came into the office and turned it down. "It's my day off, so I thought I would give it a chance. The game booths at least look fun."

"I'm all about the thrill rides," admitted Eren. He looked around. "Is it just you?"

"Yeah, I came here alone." Mikasa shrugged.

"I did too. It's also my day off." Eren regarded her thoughtfully, and he adjusted the white baseball cap he was wearing on head. "Sun's pretty bright today, huh?"

"It is," agreed Mikasa. She herself was wearing a pair of designer shades with high UV protection. She didn't know if she could have endured being out in the sun for very long without the eye protection. "It seems you and I both had the same idea."

Eren chuckled, and he backed up a little when the line moved, still facing Mikasa while making his way to the booth. "Yeah. One good thing about the warmer weather is the excuse to eat ice cream. Hey, since we're both here alone, why don't we hang out together? I'll treat you this round."

Mikasa parted her lips. She was going to politely refuse, still feeling embarrassed over nearly using him as a prostitute. He looked so hopeful though, and she couldn't bring herself to turn down his offer. She smiled before she knew she was doing it, and she nodded. "That sounds fair. I'll buy the first beer, if you want any."

"Great!" Eren turned around to face the booth again, and he squinted as he read the list of choices. "Hmm, I think I'll get a scoop of cherry on a scoop of vanilla. What would you like?"

"Just a scoop of orange sherbet."

Eren turned to look at her with a twist to his lips. "Ew, sherbet?"

"That's what I said." Mikasa raised a brow at him. "Is something wrong with that?"

"Uh, no!" Eren grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, that was rude. To each their own, right?"

She relaxed, and she gave him another tiny smile. "Right."

* * *

However confident Eren might appear, on the inside he was practically quaking. He had butterflies in his stomach. He and Mikasa found a bench to enjoy their frozen treats, and Eren watched her as she licked delicately at the scoop of sherbet crowning her ice cream cone. He licked at the cherry scoop topping his, and he wondered if he should bring up last night, and if so, how he should approach the subject. It obviously had been discussed between her and Kenny before Kenny spoke to Eren about it. Eren didn't even know why he wanted to risk making things awkward by bringing it up, but he wanted to know if Mikasa liked him as Kenny insinuated.

"So...um..." Eren couldn't get his brain to connect with his mouth to get further than that.

Mikasa looked at him, paused in eating her sherbet, and she spoke softly. "Last night would have been a mistake, if we'd both agreed to Kenny's proposal. He spoke to you about it, didn't he?"

Eren nodded, feeling his stomach clench. "Yeah."

Mikasa bit her lip, and she looked up at the Ferris Wheel circling on the midway north of their location. "I only agreed to it at first because I like you."

Eren stared at her, and his heartbeat picked up at a rapid pace. "You do?"

She nodded, her raven locks shining in the sun and catching blue highlights. "You're really cute."

"I am?" Eren was still sitting there with that stupid look of surprise on his face. He knew most people thought he was cute, and he thought Mikasa did too, but that didn't mean she liked him.

She turned her face to him, tugged her shades down a little and peered at him over the top of them. "Actually, I think you're beautiful."

Eren's jaw went slack. "Really?"

She started to smile in that mysterious, sensual way of hers. "Really."

Eren swallowed. Words. There were words he should be speaking right now. "I think you're beautiful too," he blurted, flushing. He got suddenly frustrated with himself and his own shyness. "Gah, I'm sorry. I'm so much better at pretend-flirting on the stage than I am at real flirting when I really like someone. I'm suck a dork."

She chuckled softly. Eren could tell that laughter didn't come easily to this woman. "You see?" Mikasa whispered, leaning in closer to him. "You're so cute."

Eren smiled, lowering his gaze bashfully. "I was gonna agree to it, you know. The thing Kenny came up with to make up for the payment shortage."

"But you wouldn't have been compensated for it," Mikasa pointed out.

Eren felt the cool drip of icecream trickling over his hand, due to his neglected treat beginning to melt. He didn't care. "My compensation would have been being with a girl like you."

Now it was Mikasa's turn to blush. She pushed her shades back up to conceal her eyes behind the dark lenses, and she tilted her head. "Now, that was a good flirt line."

"It was, wasn't it?" Eren smiled brightly. "But it's the plain truth."

She studied him as she ate more of her sherbet. Eren licked the melted ice cream off his hand, and he circled the base of the vanilla scoop with his tongue before moving up to the cherry scoop to collect the melting parts and keep it from running any further. Mikasa went still, staring at him intently as he cleaned up the cone and then took a bite out of the cherry scoop.

"Do I have something on my face?" Eren wondered aloud. For a minute, he could have sworn he saw her eyes glow behind her shades, but that had to be a trick of the light.

"No," answered Mikasa. Her voice took on a dulcet tone. "I'm just enjoying watching you."

Her free hand settled on his knee boldly, and heat pooled in Eren's groin as a result. Crap. He was going to end up with a boner at this rate. Mikasa leaned in close then, and she spoke into his ear. "You're being honest with me, so I have to be honest with you. I really want to fuck you, Eren."

He choked, and his hand holding the ice cream cone twitched. The top scoop tumbled off of it and hit the pavement. "Uh, oops..."

"I'll buy you another scoop," offered Mikasa.

He looked at her, and he swallowed. "I don't want ice cream now."

Mikasa seemed to be catching on. She slid her hand up his leg slowly, squeezing his thigh. "Then what do you want?"

This was happening fast. In another situation, Eren might say it was happening _too_ fast, but they _had_ known each other for a few months now, and the night before, they were both ready to have sex under the pretext that it was compensation to Mikasa's organization for owed dues.

"I want what I think you're offering," Eren said carefully, a little breathlessly. This woman could probably kill him with her pinky finger if she wanted to, so offending her was not a good idea.

Mikasa got up, tossed her remaining sherbet in the nearby trash can, and took Eren's cone to do the same. She offered a hand to the dancer. "Come on. Let's find somewhere shaded and private, Eren."

Gulping, he took her hand and got up with her. Mikasa's fingers entwined with his, and suddenly, they felt like a couple. Eren was fine with that. He hoped Mikasa wasn't thinking of this as a casual encounter, because now his head was full of thoughts of going steady with her. He hadn't had a girlfriend his entire life. His circumstances growing up and then his dancing career made dating impractical. He really, really liked Mikasa Ackerman though, and he had a feeling in his bones that they would make an awesome couple, and she'd never have issues with him dancing as long as he never let any of his clients touch him. How he knew that, he couldn't guess. He just did.

"Hey, I live just a couple of blocks away from the fairgrounds," Eren offered. "We could go to my apartment instead of trying to find some place private around here."

Mikasa turned her head to regard him thoughtfully. "All right. We'll take my car, or I can follow you."

"Oh, I walked." Eren shrugged. "Your car sounds fine."

The sooner they could get there and scratch this itch, the better off they'd be.

* * *

She could hardly believe this was about to happen. Mikasa second-guessed herself as she followed Eren's instructions and drove them to his apartment complex. It was a single level complex arrangement with identical buildings lined up in rows. Eren took her hand endearingly the minute they got out of the car, and he guided her to the third door down on the second row. Fishing out his keys, he fumbled with them to get the bolt unlocked, and he opened up the door and stepped aside to let her in.

"Well, here it is," Eren said as Mikasa walked in and had a look around. The front door led immediately into a small kitchen, and she could see the living room and a single hallway. "Sorry for the clutter. I don't get a lot of time to straighten up. I was going to do it today but—mmmpph!"

Before she could lose her nerve, Mikasa pushed the omega male up against the wall and kissed him hungrily. Eren flailed for the door, his tongue gliding against hers as he blindly reached for the door and closed it. He groaned softly, and as Mikasa pressed flush against him, she could feel his arousal digging into her hip. She was getting hard too. Her clit was swelling and growing to a size comparable to Eren's bulge.

Mikasa broke the kiss, and she took her sunglasses off to place them on the nearby counter island. She gazed into Eren's eyes, and she spoke a soft, serious question. "Have you ever been with an alpha female before, Eren?"

"Yeah," he breathed, cheeks flushed with arousal. "I know all about how things work down there for you."

She nodded, relieved even though it made her blood boil to picture him with another woman. "Then that saves me some explaining. It's rare to meet an omega male with any experience with alpha females."

She started to kiss his throat, and Eren bared his neck to her to give her greater access. His hands stroked up and down Mikasa's sides as she nuzzled and kissed his neck, and he gasped softly when she sucked on the most sensitive spot over his scent glands. She began to mark him with her own scent; an instinctive reaction to claim her territory. Eren didn't seem to mind. In fact, he was breathing her scent in deeply as she rubbed her wrists over his cheeks and neck. He turned his head to kiss her palm, and his vivid green eyes met hers as Mikasa pulled back to gauge his reaction to being marked.

 _"Keep going,"_ those eyes told her. _"I'm yours."_

A delicate shudder rippled through Mikasa's body, and her nipples strained against her bra. She'd actually never scent-marked an omega so deliberately before. Could it be that Eren was her destined mate? He cupped her right breast as he closed in for a slow, sensual kiss. Mikasa pushed into the touch, wanting more. He brushed his thumb over the pebbled nipple, rubbing it over the barriers of her clothing. She started undoing his pants, fast becoming a victim of her sexual urges.

"Where is the bedroom?" she gasped against his lips when his warm hand slid up underneath her black t-shirt.

"This way," he answered huskily. He put an arm around her and he guided her down the hallway, taking the first door on the left. He opened it up, and she found herself in another cluttered room. Half-folded laundry sat on the bed, and Eren sighed upon seeing it.

"Sorry again," he muttered, wincing. "I only got the laundry half done before the whim struck me to go to the fair." He smiled at her. "But I'm really glad I did. I'm really not a pig."

"I know." Mikasa gave him a light push in the chest, making him lose his balance and fall backwards onto the bed. She climbed on top of him immediately, straddling his hips and gazing down at him lustily. "The dishes in the kitchen were clean and I could see that you recently vacuumed your carpets. You're just disorganized, that's all."

"I wish you could have seen the place a couple of days ago," he said. "I had it clean and shiny from top...to...bottom..."

Eren trailed off as Mikasa pulled her shirt up over her head and tossed it aside, revealing her black lacey bra and her torso to him. Eren stared, and he swallowed as he ran his hands over her stomach. "Wow. Your abs are as ripped as Levi's!"

"I work out." She let him familiarize himself with her upper body, and she arched her back when he worked the front clasp of her bra open to get the undergarment off.

"Damn," whispered Eren, his gaze devouring her as he took in the sight of her firm, creamy breasts and the taut, rosy nipples. He fondled them gently, and then his eyes met hers. "You're so beautiful."

Mikasa's eyes grew heavy-lidded under the dancer's attentions, her loins throbbing with need. "So are you," she whispered back, and she unbuttoned Eren's white shirt. She pulled the now lopsided baseball cap off his head and tossed it aside before running her fingers through his rich, brown hair. She'd already seen every inch of his body, but now she had the opportunity to touch and kiss it at her leisure. She squirmed down a bit once she got Eren's shirt open, and she explored his chest with her lips. She loved his skin...loved that light bronze tone of it, and the softness of it. She made a low sound of pleasure in her throat as Eren's fingers continued to tease her nipples, and she returned the favor by swirling her tongue over one of his. The flat, dusky nipple pebbled under her attentions, and Eren moaned softly.

That was right; omegas were especially sensitive in that area. Mikasa had nearly forgotten that, until Eren reacted to her stimulation. Mikasa treated the other nipple to the same, and she slid her hand down Eren's abdomen to the waist of his jeans. She resumed working them open, having gotten them halfway unzipped before they made off for the bedroom. She finished undoing them, and she lifted up so that she could tug them down. Eren wriggled sinuously beneath her, helping her get them down over his hips. His flushed erection sprang free, and Mikasa immediately fisted her hand around it to start stroking it. Eren bucked into her touch, and he grabbed her hips, tossing his head back.

"Mikasa," Eren panted, "how do you want to do it?" He looked up at her with dazed green eyes as he asked the question.

It took her a second to figure out his meaning. He wanted to know if he was entering her, or if she was entering him. Mikasa deftly flicked open the button on her own gray pants, still pumping her hand up and down his cock. "Which way do you prefer, Eren?"

"Both," he answered without hesitation. "Either. I like it all."

Mikasa thought that was a very good answer. She couldn't believe her fortune with this guy. He was sweet, he was gorgeous, and he was versatile in bed. She tugged her pants open to expose her swollen, aroused clit. "We could try it both ways, then."

"I understand," he assured her. He looked at the alpha female sex organ, and he gently ran his fingers over it. He smiled when Mikasa hissed softly at the sensation. "I know how sensitive it is, too."

Mikasa hastily removed her shoes so that she could get her pants, underwear and socks off. Yes, alpha females' clits were very sensitive when fully extended—possibly because they were retracted most of the time, with only the hood exposed. She felt a bit weak in the knees as Eren finished stripping his pants, shoes and socks off as well, and she took a moment to admire him as he lay prone with his hands resting on his stomach, staring at her in a reciprocal, smitten manner. Eren then rolled over onto his stomach, got his legs bent beneath him and presented his ass to her with an inviting look over his shoulder.

"Like this? Or would you rather use a different position?"

For a moment, Mikasa just sat dumbfounded. She hadn't expected his sudden change of position, and she stared at the perfect roundness of Eren's tanned butt cheeks. His balls dangled beneath, and she reached out to pet them, before putting both hands on his ass.

"This...will be just fine," she said.

Her voice sounded tight to her own ears. She stroked Eren's spine as she got on her knees behind him, impulsively rubbing her clit against the back of his left thigh. A shiver went through her, and she bit her lip. She circled the pucker between his cheeks and found it wet and slippery with omega slick. Mikasa frowned suddenly when she noticed a painful looking bruise around Eren's tailbone. She touched it gingerly, and she leaned over to look at his face.

"Eren, what happened here?"

He looked back at her, and he flushed deeper. "You mean the bruise? It's nothing. I just fell on my ass yesterday trying to rush out the door for my shift. The girls helped me put some makeup on it to cover it up while I was dancing."

Mikasa now faced another dilemma. Pounding Eren in the ass when he had a bruise like that was not the best idea. She was surprised he hadn't winced when he sat down on the bench at the fair, or when she pushed him against the wall to kiss him. She rubbed his ass gently, and she sat back on her heels.

"Roll over, Eren."

"Hmm? Why?"

He did as she asked though, rolling onto his back again. Mikasa smiled softly at him, and she shook her head. Her dark bangs fell over her eyes, and she brushed them back. "I'm not going to take you when you have a bruise like that."

While he looked at her with dismay and confusion, Mikasa stretched out beside him on the bed, and she ran her hand over his chest and stomach. "We can do it that way another time. You don't need pressure on that spot while it's healing. I'm sure it hurts."

"Well, yeah, but in this case, I can ignore that." Eren caressed the shell of her ear with his fingertips. "I want you."

"I didn't say we aren't going to finish what we started," she assured him. "I'm just not going to do it that way. In fact, we shouldn't put any pressure on your tailbone at all."

She then rolled over onto her back, and she gazed at him invitingly as she squeezed his shoulder. He got the message, and he got onto his side and lowered his mouth to hers for a kiss. Eren's fingers slipped between Mikasa's thighs beneath the shaft of her clit, and he stroked the moist folds of her labia. He was good. Eren had seemed so uncertain and shy at first, but evidently, he was more confident and experienced than he let on. Mikasa rocked her hips and hummed into his kiss, pressing into his coaxing touch. She made a low sound of approval in her throat when Eren's finger slipped inside of her, and she gasped when he stroked the base of her clit with his thumb. His mouth left hers to trail kisses over her shoulders, breasts and stomach. His breath was hot and moist against her skin, coming out faster and harder by the moment.

Mikasa looked down at the chestnut head of hair as Eren licked her stomach erotically. He peeked at her through his now disheveled bangs, his green eyes going a little lighter with a touch of gold in them. Mikasa stroked his hair, amazed. Eren's gaze held hers as he kissed his way down further, and Mikasa tensed when he oh-so-gently kissed the head of her clit. He then licked it slowly, and she grabbed at the sheets with her free hand as a jolt went through her.

"Eren," breathed Mikasa, trembling.

"Too much?" he murmured.

"No," she denied. "Perfect."

He smiled, and he did it some more. He then took it into his mouth, careful to cover his teeth with his lips, and he began to suck on it lightly. Mikasa's brows tightened and her back arched. Her toes started to curl, and she let go of his hair to grab more bedding with both hands. She started panting hard, and she knew she wouldn't last much longer.

Before she could urge Eren to stop, he did so. It was as though he knew how much was enough, and Mikasa stared up at him in a daze as he settled his hips between her pale, spread thighs and gazed down at her. He was breathing just as hard as she was, and when he kissed her, she could taste herself on his lips. Mikasa spread her thighs further and grabbed the dancer's ass, urging him to join with her. Eren used his palm to guide himself in, withdrawing his finger as he did so. His eyes fluttered shut and a moan escaped him as his length slowly filled Mikasa.

"Oh God, that's good," exclaimed Eren breathlessly.

He opened his eyes to look at her again as he eased out, then pumped again. His breath caught, and so did Mikasa's. She let go of the bedding to reach up and stroke his hair as he began to move. She matched his thrusts, rolling her hips beneath him to minimize the amount of motion strain on his coccyx. Eren's eyes widened, his lips parting with surprise over the amount of muscle control Mikasa was demonstrating. Though he was on top, Mikasa was doing most of the riding from the bottom.

"Nnnnhhh," Eren groaned.

The flush returned to his face, and he bit his lip when Mikasa lifted her hips—and him—off the mattress and then dropped back down, burying him deep. She cried out softly as well, and she cupped the back of his head to draw him down for another kiss. The sounds he was making were so sensual and heartfelt. He started calling her name with feeling, and Mikasa squeezed his hips firmly with her thighs when she thought he was getting too vigorous for his own good.

"Slow down," she panted. She kissed around his mouth, and then followed up with a full kiss on the lips. "We can get rough another time, Eren. Not now, though."

He nodded, looking a little pained. "Right. It's...been a while for me. Got too excited."

Mikasa had a very difficult time believing it had been very long at all since Eren last had sex with someone, given the skills he'd demonstrated. Then again, Eren made a living doing exotic dances, and therefore he had some fine instincts. She didn't bother asking him how long it had been or who his last partner was. She didn't really give a damn, right now. As his thrusting resumed at a slower, smoother pace, Mikasa again matched it, and she put her arms around him. She lifted her head off the pillow and she kissed his chest, moaning with pleasure. Each pump brought her closer to release. The carefully groomed, springy hair framing Eren's groin was brushing against her clit, and the friction of his skin sliding against the length was wonderful.

Mikasa groaned as it built to the explosive point, and she wrapped her legs around Eren's waist again and held him tightly, trembling and gasping. Wetness soon followed as she had a clit ejaculation, and Eren kept gently rocking against her as she rode it out. He quickened the pace again, his grunts and moans growing more pronounced. Mikasa did her best to help him join her in completion, working her inner muscles to squeeze and massage his cock.

Eren cursed and he bowed his head, tensing up over her. Mikasa felt him come inside of her, and she gave a satisfied little smile. Eren's arms were trembling as he tried to support his weight so as not to put all of it on her. Mikasa drew his head down for another kiss, and she rubbed his ass with her other hand.

"Wow," Eren said in an uneven voice, after catching his breath for a moment. He lifted up to stare down at Mikasa with a sort of amazement in his eyes. "You...that was...wow."

She chuckled softly. "You definitely did your part, too." She sighed, feeling more relaxed in the afterglow than she'd felt in months. She urged her companion to lay his cheek against her breasts, and she rubbed his back. He was softening inside of her, and he slipped out after a moment.

"Eren?"

"Mmm?" He sounded lazy and contented.

Mikasa considered her next words carefully. "Are you on suppressants?"

"Nope. I don't have a need for them. I don't have heats anymore."

She frowned. "Are you sure about that? Sometimes they can be erratic."

Eren shrugged. "It's been two years since my last one. I think they messed something up when they sterilized me. I don't know...maybe I could still have one. I never think much on it, because even if I have a heat, I can't get pregnant if some guy...uh..."

"Yes, you'd better reconsider finishing that sentence," warned Mikasa seriously, pursing her lips. "If you ever do have a heat, Eren, I want to be the one to take care of you."

Eren lifted and turned his head, propping his chin right between her tits. He stared at her in an inquisitive manner. "Well yeah. You're my girlfriend now, right?"

"I...y-yes. Yes, I'm your girlfriend." Mikasa wasn't expecting him to declare it. She wasn't expecting a trip to the fair to end with her and Eren Jaeger becoming a couple. They still had a lot of getting to know each other to do, but it felt so...right.

Eren gave her a goofy little smile. "Then who else would I turn to?"

Damn it, this boy really needed to stop being so cute.

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with myself over whether to put in graphic sex scenes with any of the side couples, but I've done it before and I decided as long as I leave a warning, nobody should be traumatized. ;-) Alpha females can be so tricky to write, because a lot of people don't understand the biology. I just loved how the scene between Mikasa and Eren turned out, so I felt compelled to include it. Not to worry though; the main pairing of this story is of course Erwin and Levi. Sorry they weren't in this chapter, but rest assured, there will be some Eruri in the next one. You go, Mikasa!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Content warning: This chapter contains potentially triggering content involving miscarriage. I don't like to put spoilers right at the top of my chapters, but I would rather warn readers than risk taking someone by surprise and upsetting them. On another note, I'm doing a bit of back-writing to this story in order to make some things fall into place a bit better.

Erwin awoke before Levi, the next morning. It surprised him a bit to be the first one to wake up, because he'd learned that Levi was an insomniac. Eren Jaeger told him as much when Erwin stealthily probed the young man for information about the head dancer, and Petra confirmed it in a later conversation he'd had with her. Both of them had apparently caught Levi passed out in his desk chair more than once, having finally succumbed to exhaustion. Erwin rolled onto his side to stare at his bed companion, admiring Levi in his sleep. He looked so peaceful right now. The little line between his eyebrows was smoothed out, testament that even uptight individuals like him could find peace in slumber. Erwin liked to think that part of Levi's relaxation was due to his thorough lovemaking the night before. He'd made use of every sensual skill at his disposal, striving above all else to please Levi and ruin him for anyone else.

"I hope I succeeded in my goal," whispered Erwin with a smile.

He replayed the events of the night before in his mind, again picturing those winsome expressions of ecstasy and surrender he'd seen on Levi's face. His satisfied smile faded as he also recalled the moment Levi revealed to him that he wasn't an ordinary human. Erwin almost wondered if he'd dreamt that part up, and he slowly reached out to trace Levi's pouty lips with his fingertips. They parted in response, the omega unconsciously reacting to his alpha's touch. Erwin gently eased the upper lip up to examine his companion's teeth. They looked perfectly normal right now, but when he brushed his finger over the gums, he noticed something he probably would have missed before.

The part of the tooth hidden beneath Levi's gum line was bigger than average. Erwin frowned, took his finger away and experimentally felt his own gums to compare. Yes, Levi's was definitely bigger. From what he knew of human biology, adult teeth had deep roots within the skull. What was visible was only a portion of the tooth; most of it was beneath the gums. He'd seen for himself that Levi's canine teeth could extend and retract, much like a cat's claw. Surely it must mean that the dancer's canines went deeper into his gums than ordinary human teeth. Hange would probably kill for the opportunity to examine Levi and find out just how his vampire teeth worked, and what enabled them to extend and retract the way they did.

Erwin himself had no head for science, so he only lingered on his curiosity for a few moments. It didn't matter how they worked. They were real, as was Levi's vampirism. Perhaps real vampires had very little in common with the fictional version of them, but that actually came as a comfort to Erwin. Levi wasn't immortal. He wouldn't remain young for eternity while everyone around him aged and died. He could go out into the sunlight with only minor discomfort to the exposure. He cast a reflection, and he obviously wasn't some brutal killer that only saw humans as food, despite the unfortunate events of the night before. He had a conscience; probably a stronger one than Erwin himself.

_~And how many people have I killed, directly or not?~_

The unbidden question struck the mafia boss like a fist to the gut, making him suffer a wave of nausea. What would Levi think of him if he ever learned the answer to that question? Gruff and impatient with people though he was, Levi Ackerman genuinely cared for others. He was protective of his fellow dancers, fiercely loyal to the point where Erwin believed he would even lay down his life for them.

"And I have the moral compass that will always point south," whispered Erwin with a humorless smirk.

He was weak. If he had any decent sense of right and wrong, he wouldn't have pursued this omega so strongly to begin with. He didn't deserve him. Now Erwin thought he understood Hange a little better, and he admired her for practicing restraint where he had failed. As determined as the science-minded alpha woman could be, Erwin had faith that she would never fall to temptation and take Petra Ral. Hange clearly didn't want that sort of life for the sweet-natured ginger, regardless of how much she might wish for more than dances from her.

"Mmm," hummed Levi softly, stirring. His eyes fluttered open, and they focused on Erwin's brooding countenance. "Hey. What time is it? Why do you look like you're straining to take a shit?"

Caught off-guard by the candid observation, it took Erwin a moment to gather his wits and respond. He glanced at his watch; the only thing he hadn't removed last night. "It's going on nine in the morning. Don't worry; you have plenty of time to sleep in before you're scheduled to work. In fact, I'd suggest you take a sick day and rest up. Last night was a hard experience for anyone to go through, Levi."

"Kenny would have a conniption," sighed the omega, closing his eyes again.

Erwin stroked Levi's soft, mussed black hair. He loved the color of it, and the way it seemed to have blue-ish highlights when the light shone on it, like a raven's wing. "I can handle Kenny for you. I would love to spend the day spoiling you rotten."

"Would you, now?" Levi smirked softly, and his eyes opened again to regard the blond sleepily. He then did something that Erwin didn't anticipate. The mysterious little omega squirmed closer to him and cuddled up against him with a little yawn. "How would you do that?"

"Well," Erwin began, distracted by the sweet, trusting gesture and the scent of his lover, "breakfast, for a start. Ah, but does food even do anything for you? I've seen you eat before, but is it just for show or do you get some nutritional value from it?"

Levi nodded. "I get hungry like anyone else. Vampires need regular food too. We just need the blood as well. Think of it like some kind of super anemia. Tch, now that I say that, I guess it _is_ kind of a disease."

"You aren't diseased," insisted Erwin. He gave the omega a gentle squeeze, and he kissed the crown of his head. "You just have a more complicated diet than most."

Levi gave a little huff of amusement. "Heh. That's a pretty generous way to put it."

"How often do you have to feed?" Erwin wondered.

Levi shrugged, and he tilted his head back to look at him. "I can go as long as a month without needing a donor, but that's only if I eat a lot of very rare steak. The blood from that is enough to keep me going a little longer." He sighed, and his sensitive mouth pulled into a frown. "Guess I won't be needing Eren for a while, after last night. Poor kid never complains, but sometimes it's hard for me to hold back and not take too much from him. One time he almost passed out. I damned near called an ambulance."

"That must have been upsetting for you," consoled Erwin. Considering that Eren seemed to look at Levi as a mentor of sorts, the blond understood how protective Levi felt of him. He had no doubt that Levi would kill anyone with his bare hands that so much as breathed on Eren in particular the wrong way, even if he tended to criticize the boy and call him an idiot on a regular basis. Erwin now knew that all of that was born of affection rather than true disdain.

"It was," admitted Levi. "I'm supposed to protect my dancers, not put 'em in the hospital."

"Well, you didn't put him in the hospital," soothed Erwin, "and I feel pity for anyone foolish enough to mistreat your dancers. What did you do for blood before Eren began to donate his to you?"

"Passed out drunks," replied Levi with a little grimace. "I'd find them in alleys or lure them out of bars. I've also gone to a butcher for animal blood. They really give you a weird look when you tell them you want a gallon of pig's blood. Probably think it's for a prank or something."

"Neither of those options sounds very appealing," observed Erwin. "The look on your face confirms that."

"Yeah, alcohol-saturated blood has a strange taste to it," agreed Levi, "and pig's blood is kind of like those cheap, freeze-dried noodle packs; gets the job done, but it's not very nutritional and its loaded with stuff that's not good for you. Human blood is best for vamps. We can live off animal blood, but it takes twice as much to fulfill our needs."

"I see." Erwin mulled the information over, and an idea came to him. He nearly spoke it aloud to his companion, but he smiled softly and kept it to himself. No, this particular kindness that he had in mind should be a surprise. He would talk to Hange about orchestrating it. She of all people would find a way.

"Now you're grinning like a conniving creep," announced Levi. "What goes on in your head, to make you go from sulking to grinning like that?"

"Oh, I was just thinking of what to make you for breakfast," lied Erwin. "I happen to have some grade A steak in my freezer. I buy it in bulk from a family owned butcher shop."

"Steak for breakfast?" Levi wondered aloud, frowning a little.

"Sure, why not? You've never heard of steak and eggs for breakfast? Although, by the time I can get it thawed enough to prepare, it would be more like brunch."

Erwin stroked the omega's hair again. What was done was done, and he wouldn't take back last night even if he could. The only thing that he could do now was try his best to be a good lover to Levi, a thing which he had failed at for most of his life. Marie had cheated on him because he'd neglected her. After that, Erwin went from one casual encounter to another, never committing to any of them and breaking hearts everywhere. He would not take Levi for granted. With a start, Erwin realized that he was falling in love with the man, and quickly. This was more than infatuation. With each day he got to know Levi better, and he appreciated him even more.

"Fuck," muttered Erwin, eyes going blank.

"You're doing it again, weirdo," Levi pointed out dryly. "Now what's on your mind? You never answered my question about why you had 'shit-face' earlier, either."

Erwin thought quickly to make up an excuse. "I was pondering a strange dream I had when you woke up, as for my 'shit-face', as you call it. On account of my outburst, I just realized that I need to make a business call that's overdue. Please excuse me for a few moments, Levi."

Erwin gave his omega a swift, affectionate kiss, and he pulled away from him and got out of bed before Levi could question him further. Whatever else the dancer might have to say to him apparently got lost from thought as Levi gazed at his nudity. Erwin nearly laughed at the unguarded, smitten expression on Levi's face. Then he felt himself blushing under that silvery stare, because while he was used to his sexual partners admiring his form, there was something undeniably special about receiving that sort of look from Levi Ackerman.

"Hey, are you blushing?" Levi asked, lifting his brows a little. "Don't tell me Erwin Smith is feeling shy."

"I don't blush," denied the alpha, turning away to hide it. He _was_ blushing now, though. He couldn't seem to help it. His groin started to stir as he felt Levi's gaze following him to the expansive, walk-in closet. He snatched his white robe off of the hook hanging on the door, and he quickly slipped it on to cover himself and his growing condition.

"Don't bullshit me," chastised Levi. "You were totally blushing. Shit, now I sound like Eren."

That made Erwin lose his composure completely. He laughed huskily, and he turned back around to face his reclining lover, spreading his hands. "All right, Levi. I was blushing. Congratulations on being the first to do that to me since highschool."

Levi smirked, scanning him deliberately with his come-hither bedroom eyes. "Good to know I have that effect on you, blondie."

Erwin's blush deepened, and his heart skipped a beat. He cleared his throat and excused himself to go and get the steak out of the freezer. He could have sworn he heard Levi snort with amusement at his expense, just before he made it out the bedroom door.

* * *

"So, uh..." Eren trailed off, blushing hard as he looked at the young woman in his bed. Mikasa had already been awake when he roused from sleep, and she'd been staring at him with a blatantly possessive stare. "Last night was um...really great."

Mikasa's cool expression evaporated into a warm, fond smile. "It was. You don't regret it, do you?"

"No," assured Eren, shaking his head rapidly. "Not one bit. Do you? I mean, do you think we moved too fast?"

"Ordinarily, I probably would," she admitted softly. She reached out to trace his features with her fingertips. "It's different with you, though. It felt so natural and right. It's almost as if...never mind."

Eren cocked his head with interest, and he put an arm around her to pull her closer to him. "Almost as if what? What were you going to say?"

Her cheeks gained a bit of color, and the dark fall of her lashes concealed her gaze as she lowered her eyes. "You might think it's stupid."

"I won't," insisted Eren. "I promise. You've never said anything stupid, Mikasa. Please tell me what's on your mind. I'm your boyfriend now, so you ought to be able to confide in me, right?"

His words seemed to hearten her, and she smiled softly. "Yes, I suppose that's true. All right, I'll tell you." She took a deep breath, and her dark eyes met his again. "I was going to say that it feels like we've known one another for longer than we have. Maybe in a past life, if you can believe in that sort of thing."

Eren sobered, and his expressive eyes softened on her. He reached out to tweak a strand of her silky, black hair. When he spoke again, it was in a whisper filled with emotions that he still didn't quite know how to deal with. "I don't think that sounds stupid at all. In fact, I feel the same way. Being with you is like...like being _home_. Oh man, now I'm the one that sounds dumb."

Mikasa chuckled as Eren promptly buried his face into his pillow with a groan. Her hand stroked his naked back soothingly. "No, you don't sound dumb. You sound adorable."

"Fank ooh." Eren's voice was muffled and distorted by the material he was self-smothering in, and he turned his head to peer at her with one shy, green eye. She was like a porcelain doll again, watching him with that fathomless gaze of hers. He turned his head further so that he could speak without his words getting jumbled into the pillow. "Damn, you are so pretty."

Mikasa chuckled softly, her cheeks regaining a hint of pink to them. "You aren't going to tire of saying that, are you?"

He rolled back onto his side, grabbed her and pulled her close for a snuggle. "No chance. Sorry."

Mikasa started to tremble with soft laughter, her creamy shoulders jerking as she muffled her amusement against Eren's bronzed chest. He grinned, pleased with himself for making his hearthrob laugh first thing in the morning. Suddenly his concerns about diving in too fast with her went away, and he was grateful. Now he had two people in his life besides Levi that he knew for a fact he could always count on. The misery of his experiences were salved by that knowledge. He wasn't alone, anymore.

Eren's smile turned into a little frown as he thought about his friend Armin. He needed to confide in Mikasa about his feelings for the instructor, and soon. If she was willing to give him her heart, he felt like he had to be completely honest with her. He nuzzled her fragrant hair, and he hoped to God that he could find the strength to be frank with her and that she would understand that he would never betray her, no matter how he felt about his buddy.

* * *

Levi took a delicate bite of his bloody steak, almost as if he feared it might burn him, somehow. Erwin chewed on his own medium-well steak as he watched him. There was a sense of anticipation, and he could have kicked himself for being so uncertain. If there was one thing the alpha knew he could do just right, it was breakfast for a lover. They sat together at the bar in the kitchen, with Erwin situated on the high-backed stool just to the right of Levi.

"Well?" Erwin prompted as his guest chewed thoughtfully. Damn, Levi had a cute little mouth. "Is it to your liking?"

Levi swallowed, and he picked up his cup of Earl Grey tea to rinse down the little bite he'd taken. He nodded in approval, his hooded eyes meeting Erwin's inquisitive sapphire gaze. "You should open up a restaurant, if you ever get tired of organized crime."

Erwin felt a boyish surge of sheer joy in response to Levi's generous response. A compliment like that from someone like Levi wasn't a thing to take lightly. "Never say never."

Levi smirked sidelong at him, and he cut into one of his fried eggs. He observed the thick, golden liquid as it oozed out of the yoke. "And you managed to do the eggs right, too. That's tough. I'm a picky bastard about that. Soft yokes are a pain in the ass to get just right."

Erwin felt the threat of another humiliating blush rising. He tried to temper his reactions to receiving such praise from a man that he knew damned well was generally more critical of others than complimentary. "It isn't so difficult. It's really just about having the stove to cook it evenly and knowing how to time it."

"Well, you're probably the only person I've ever met outside my usual pancake house that gets it right," admitted Levi softly. He cut into his steak again, and his pale gaze was focused intensely on it. "And fuck, do you ever know how to flip a steak. I'm gonna start calling you 'chef Smith' if you don't watch your step."

Erwin laughed with delight, the husky rumble of his chuckles humming in his throat. "If it had come from anyone else, I might suspect ass-kissing."

Levi gave him a pointed, dry look. "Good thing you know me better than that. Congratulations; I'm sold on your cooking."

Unable to help himself, Erwin reached out to stroke the omega's hair. "You are definitely worth the effort."

Levi paused with his bite of steak halfway to his lips, and he favored Erwin with a thoughtful, clever stare. "You're trying really hard, aren't you?"

Erwin felt the heat in his face rise to an explosive level, and he glanced aside. "Pardon me?"

Levi lowered his fork, and he cursed himself softly. "Fuck. I said it wrong."

Startled a bit by the quiet outburst, Erwin caught the omega's gaze again. He took a deep breath, and he decided to open up to his companion in ways that he had never, ever done with anyone before. Levi had shared a very intimate secret about himself with him, and Erwin thought that deserved some reciprocal honesty from him. He reached over to cover Levi's free hand with his own, giving it a gentle squeeze. If this relationship was a mistake, it was long past-due to correct it. He just had to make it work, whatever the cost.

"No. You're just being frank with me, and that's a thing that I'm unused to. Yes, Levi; I'm trying hard. I want to woo you. I've never felt such a strong need to show what's left of my good side to anyone. I feel...ah, how to describe it? When I'm with you, it feels a bit like I've just taken one of those spinning carnival rides. I step off of it and I'm dizzy and disoriented. This may sound foolish, but you have no idea what your approval means to me."

Erwin bowed his head with a sigh, unable to bear the expression of disgust that he presumed would come upon his lover's face. "I'm not a good man. I haven't been a good man for a long while. When I see your devotion to your friends, and when I witness your strength of resolve, it gives me hope for humanity. Yes, you're unique, but that isn't simply because of your vampirism. I think it's safe for me to say frankly that you are an inspiring person, over all. I'm not just attracted to you. I admire the living hell out of you."

Levi just stared at him with a rather stunned look, and Erwin decided he'd said far too much. They still hadn't agreed on exclusivity and he was practically proposing to the man. He'd allowed his poetic nature to get ahead of him again, and Levi obviously was not a person to be won by romantic speeches. Actions, that was what influenced Levi.

"One thing you'll learn about me," confessed Erwin with a self-depreciating smirk, "is that I tend to run off at the mouth a bit, now and then."

Levi smirked at him. "No kidding."

The omega's cheeks were flushed, and he looked away. He bit his lower lip, and he spoke softly. "Hey, I'm not good with social graces. You talk like some romantic hero from a pirate movie or something, and everything that comes out of my mouth is trash."

"Levi, that isn't true," objected Erwin. "You're just honest. My language usage is more on the diplomatic side, and I've become so adept at finding the most flattering words that sometimes, I'm not even sure I believe myself when I speak."

Levi glanced at him sharply. "So then you basically just fed me a line of bullshit."

"No, no," Erwin hastily assured him. "I meant every word of that. I'm actually embarrassed by how quickly and easily it slipped out, because in coming to know you, I'm sure you weren't very impressed. I didn't even have time to think about it before I said it, which is unusual for me. I think this has been one of the first times in years that I haven't had to mentally plot every word I say."

The pale gaze lowered, and Levi shrugged and started cutting into his steak again. "You know you just contradicted yourself, right?"

Erwin flushed yet again. Fuck, his face hadn't been so red in a long time. "I did. You aren't the only one having difficulty expressing yourself." He sighed, and he forked up some of his scrambled eggs. "You have that effect on me. I've never stumbled this much with a love interest."

The omega looked at him again as he placed the slice of steak into his mouth and chewed. His sculpted jaw worked, and there was a gleam of thoughtfulness in his gaze. "You haven't been so bad," he finally said once he swallowed his bite of food. "I'm just not used to getting praise like that from someone. So are you still dead-set on being my alpha?"

"I am." Erwin nodded confirmatively, meeting that heavy-lidded gaze with all sincerity. "I've never been this determined to win someone over, before."

He winced inwardly at his own response. He _really_ needed to regain his control of his passions and stop sounding so much like a damned teen romance novel.

The left corner of Levi's mouth curved up subtly, telling the alpha that he was thinking along similar lines. "The thing is, I'm not sure I can trust you yet. You spout all this romantic shit, but like you said yourself; you've got charming people down to an art. I'm not a mind reader, Smith. It's gonna take more than some pretty words to convince me I'd be safe in giving myself to you the way you want me to."

Erwin heaved a sigh, unsurprised by Levi's response. He ate the bite of food on his fork, and he mulled it over. This time when he replied to Levi, he chose his words more carefully. "I understand. People have tried to take advantage of you for most of your life. You value your independence. You are your own person, and a pair-bond is admittedly more advantageous to the alpha than the omega. What say you we cut a deal, Levi?"

Levi tilted his head slightly, appearing to consider the idea. "Hmm. What do you have in mind?"

"Give me the chance to show you the sort of man I could be," suggested Erwin. "I may have a poor moral compass over all, but when I have a goal, I'm very dedicated to fulfilling it. We can avoid the bonding process with careful use of suppressants, until you're satisfied that I could be your ideal mate. Just agree to be my steady lover for now. Date me. Bring some of your things over and I'll clear out closet space and a drawer for you. Exchange apartment keys with me. You can stay here whenever you like. My home is yours."

Levi sipped at his tea slowly while Erwin waited for his response. After a few swallows, the omega answered softly: "That sounds like a pretty big step. You're practically asking me to move in with you. My place might be shit compared to yours, but it's mine, and I like having my own space."

Erwin resisted the urge to tear out his hair with frustration. Reminding himself that he was trying to woo an omega that was more than a little skittish of alphas in particular, he squashed his offended feelings and fell back on his diplomatic talents. "I'm not asking you to give up your apartment, and I would never come there un-announced and invade your space. I'm just offering my home to you. I'm trying to show you how sincerely I feel about this, Levi. I don't want to be in this...limbo that we've been in. I need some sort of reassurance, or I need you to tell me now that I have no chance of ever having more than casual encounters with you."

* * *

Levi knew a veiled ultimatum when he heard one. Basically, his handsome suitor was telling him to either shit or get off the pot. The rebel in him damned near chose the latter right then and there, but one look at Erwin's hopeful face made him falter. People couldn't really fake that much sincerity, could they? Professional actors might come close, but there was real emotion in those bright, blue eyes. It was like Erwin had torn down all of his own walls to show Levi a vulnerable side of him that the dancer was sure he never revealed to anyone else. The naked longing in Erwin's gaze made Levi's mouth go dry, made his pulse quicken.

"What about my feeding needs?" he whispered at last. "You know I've got to get blood from someone at least once a month. You okay with Eren still being my donor?"

Erwin's determined expression did not falter. He nodded. "If he must. Frankly, I would rather you take from me, though. I understand you're used to your arrangement with your coworker, though."

That little test was very important to Levi, and he couldn't find himself overtly surprised by Erwin's offering up his own throat. Of course the man would prefer he get his blood from him. The part that Levi needed to know was whether Erwin would be able to accept him taking it from someone else if necessary, and he'd just answered that concern.

"How about the escort services?" pressed Levi, not quite ready to give in to his own desires and say yes. "You know those bring in more money for me than the common stage or even private dances, right? Are you prepared to let me take escort clients without raising a stink about it?"

That one seemed to be a little harder for the alpha to accept, judging by the way his squared jaw tensed up a bit. He had morning stubble, and Levi's fingers itched to reach out and touch the dark golden abrasion. Erwin could get away with the mussed and scruffy look where others could not. He actually looked exceptionally sexy with that beard shadow and his blond hair loose and un-styled.

"Oi, it's a simple question," urged Levi when his potential boyfriend didn't answer quickly enough. He stifled his impulses, determined to lay down some boundaries before jumping into this commitment. "Is it going to be a problem for you, or what?"

Erwin sighed, visibly letting go of the tension in his shoulders. "If that's going to be a condition of our relationship, then that's what I'll do. I only ask that you adhere to our agreement. No kissing, no intimate touching...and no further 'nightcaps'. Only you could make me agree to allowing other men to take you out on dates, Levi."

Levi let go of the breath he didn't even realize he was holding. That had been the final and most difficult test. This man really _was_ determined to be his alpha. He'd agreed to conditions that most people would scoff at, and Levi could guess how much that cost him in the pride department.

"If you mean all that, then sure." Levi shrugged, falsely casual. In truth, he felt a rush of terror and elation all at the same time. He was about to bag himself a boyfriend. He'd never actually had one, before. "We can give it a shot. I want the top drawer of your dresser and the front left space in that big fucking closet of yours."

Erwin smiled at him, and it was like the sun coming out from behind the clouds on a dreary day. "I can absolutely accommodate that request."

* * *

She was supposed to have the whole weekend off, but Hitch called in sick, Levi wasn't coming in and Petra didn't want to call Eren up and interrupt his time off. Seeing as she had nothing planned for the day anyhow, Petra decided to go in and take Hitch's shift. She greeted her coworkers half-heartedly as she went into the dressing room and opened up her locker to put her bag into it. Mina watched her from one of the vanity mirrors, her girlish features expressing surprise at seeing her there.

"Petra, didn't you have this weekend off?" inquired the brunet, pausing in applying her coral colored lipstick.

"There's no rest for the wicked," answered Petra with a tired grin in Mina's direction. She started going through her personal wardrobe to pick out her first dance outfit. "Hitch has the flue, and our other two top dancers are out. Kenny asked if I could come in for at least half a shift, so here I am."

"Oh." Mina resumed applying her makeup, speaking as she went. "Well, that Hange lady you like was here a little while ago. I don't know if she's still out there, though."

Petra went still, her thoughts suddenly filled with square-ish glass lenses, toothy, open smiles and unrestrained laughter. She started to smile herself just thinking of it. She'd met few people with a zest for life like Hange Zoë's. She wondered if the alpha woman's visit today was purely business, or if she'd come specifically to see Petra dance. Perhaps it was arrogant of her to presume the latter, but Hange had made it pretty clear that she favored Petra above all the other dancers.

"Maybe she's still here," mused Petra. She chose her monarch butterfly thong, top and gossamer robe. That one seemed to be Hange's favorite. She slipped out of her clothes and started dressing, and she noticed Mina grinning at her through the lighted mirror's reflection. "What's so funny?"

"I think you might have a little crush," observed the younger dancer with a soft giggle.

Petra's busy hands slowed, and she checked herself out in the full-length mirror against the wall. "She tips well, and she's funny. I don't feel like a peace of meat when I dance for her. She treats me like a person."

"And you want to get down her pants," Mina added with a cough.

Petra raised a brow at the other girl. "You're assuming a lot."

Mina rolled her eyes, and she started to part her hair down the center to fashion the dark locks into her usual pigtails. "It isn't just me. Everyone notices the way your eyes light up when you...when you..."

Suddenly, Mina placed one hand on her lower abdomen and she grimaced.

"Mina?" Petra hurried to the other omega's side when Mina groaned and started doubling over in her seat. "What's the matter?"

Mina shook her head, the single pigtail she'd tied up swaying with the motion. "Don't know. I'm...having really bad cramps. Aaaahh!"

Startled by the raw agony in Mina's voice, Petra barely caught her before she fell out of the chair. She put her arms around Mina, and all thoughts of her friends' earlier teasing slipped out of her mind.

"Okay, okay," Petra babbled, truly frightened by the pallor in Mina's cheeks and the pained noises she was making. "Come on, let's get you to the couch. I'm going to call for an ambulance."

"N-no," moaned Mina, sucking in harsh breaths, "too expensive. Just...take me to...that cheap clinic on...unh!"

Petra shook her head, guiding the other dancer's faltering steps urgently. She wasn't about to take her to that dirty place Mina was suggesting. "I'll help you cover the bill, sweetheart. Something's obviously wrong, and you need a doctor right away."

Mina started to sob, biting her lip in pain. Petra glanced down at the girl's tense hand splayed over her stomach, and it was then that she saw the trickle of blood escaping from beneath her thong, dripping slowly down her left thigh.

* * *

Hange sipped at her whisky sour, wondering again what she was doing here. Sure, the girl up on the stage—Brenda, she thought was her name—was cute. She had long, auburn hair, pale green eyes and a tan complexion. She didn't have Petra's delicate grace or Eren's winsome smile, though. Apparently Levi wasn't working tonight either, so none of Hange's favorite dancers would be making it on the stage. She sighed morosely into her drink, and she started to plan out where to go when she left. She was bored, and she didn't feel like sitting at home on the computer or watching the television.

"Excuse me, Miss Hange?"

Hange nearly choked on her drink as she recognized the sweet, feminine voice. She spun on the barstool so fast that some of her beverage splashed out of the glass, and she grinned from ear to ear at the sight of Petra.

"Well hello there, my dear!" Hange set her drink down, and she came close to impulsively hugging the little ginger in her surprise. "What are you doing here tonight? Kenny told me you have the weekend off."

"I did, but..."

Hange's smile faded at the anxious look in Petra's amber gaze. Her thoughts immediately went into protective mode, and her expression darkened. "Is something wrong? Do you have a client giving you trouble? Just point me in the right direction, and I'll—"

"No, it's not a client," Petra interrupted urgently. She leaned in close and spoke into the alpha female's ear. "It's one of our dancers. You've got some medical skills, don't you?"

"Well yes," agreed Hange with a puzzled frown. "I have the credentials to be a doctor, if I really wanted to. What's going on?"

Petra took her hand urgently. "Please, come with me. I was going to call a cab to take her to the emergency room, but she's in a lot of pain! Something's really, really wrong."

Nothing more needed to be said. Hange got off of the barstool, and she let Petra guide her along through the crowd to the hallway leading to the dressing room in the back.

* * *

Levi got the phone call from Petra just as he was about to join Erwin on the couch to watch the news. He cursed violently, told his host that he needed to get to the club fast, and started for the door while looking up the number for the cab company. Erwin stopped him and told him that he would give him a ride. Levi didn't argue with that, and together they went to the parking garage to get into the mafia boss's sleek sedan. His driver was off for the night, so Erwin himself got behind the wheel. Much to Levi's relief, the man wasn't afraid to break the speed limit.

"So what is the issue?" inquired Erwin as he took the back streets to get them there faster.

"Mina's sick," supplied Levi. He had one hand gripping the edge of the seat and the other hanging onto the handle over the passenger side door. "Petra said she started bleeding and collapsed."

"Bleeding?" Erwin frowned. "From where?"

Levi looked at him, and his eyes briefly glowed with emotion. "From her snatch."

Still able to be surprised at times with Levi's bluntness, Erwin blinked at him. "How severely. Could she just be having a bad period?"

Levi shook his head. "I dunno. Petra said she can't even stand up on her own. I know some girls get severe cramps, but this came on all the sudden, and now Mina's throwing up, too. Doesn't sound like a normal thing to me."

"Why haven't they taken her to a hospital?" demanded Erwin.

"Your girl Hange's there. Petra dragged her out of the common room to have a look at her and Mina's being a stupid, stubborn bitch about going to a clinic 'cause she's got no health insurance. I guess I've got to intervene and talk some sense into her if it's bad enough for a trip to the emergency room."

Erwin said no more about it, obviously understanding now why Levi had been contacted to help deal with it. He drove a bit faster, and within moments, they made it to the parking lot at the back of the strip club. Levi was unbuckled and out the door before Erwin could even cut the engine, and he charged full-speed to the back entry way, leaving his companion behind him in seconds. He barked at Historia to get out of his way when he came across her on his way through the employee corridors, and the poor girl nearly spilled the tray of drinks in her hand. Levi found Hange standing outside the dressing room with Kenny, and he skidded to a halt before them.

"What's going on?" demanded Levi, addressing the tall alpha woman.

Hange ceased her conversation with Kenny, looking wide-eyed at the small omega male as if startled. "Where did _you_ come from? You literally just came out of nowhere!"

"Mina," reiterated Levi, ignoring the question. He hadn't realized he'd made use of one of the perks of being a vampire and basically ran at super speed through the corridors. No wonder Historia had practically screamed when he passed by her. "What's going on with Mina, Hange?"

Hange seemed to shake herself out of her confusion, and she glanced at the door. "She's having a miscarriage."

That news was enough to stun Levi silly. As he struggled to come up with a response, Erwin came up behind him.

"How is she?" asked the blond.

Levi kept his disbelieving gaze on Hange as he turned his head in his lover's direction. "Shit-glasses here says she's having a miscarriage, but that isn't possible."

"Oh, but it is," explained Hange. "I was just telling your uncle here that sometimes when a tubal ligation is performed, the body can repair it. It's rare, mind you, but the fallopian tubes can grow back together after a few years. This only happens to about five out of a thousand women, but it's not unheard of. It seems little Mina falls into that category, but I'm afraid her condition isn't normal. She needs to have surgery, because this isn't a common miscarriage."

"What the hell does that mean?" Kenny inquired, stroking his goatee. "She ought to be fine once it finishes, right?"

Hange sighed. "I'm not sure. I would need the right equipment to confirm it, and we obviously don't have that here. I strongly suspect she's suffering an ectopic pregnancy, though. If I'm right, it's going to take surgical measures to correct it."

"So she hasn't really miscarried yet?" Levi asked, confused. "What the fuck is an ectopic pregnancy? Sounds like some kind of alien thing."

"It means that she's carrying the baby outside her uterus," supplied Erwin. He looked at Hange. "Right?"

"Yes." Hange nodded. "It's a tubal pregnancy. There's no way she could carry to term. Her fallopian tube will burst and that could kill her. If I'm wrong, then she'll eventually pass the fetus on her own without medical intervention, but either way, she needs to be in the hospital. I was just about to get my car ready to take her. Levi, I assume you and Petra will both want to come with?"

Levi swallowed. He didn't keep up with his dancers' private lives and monitor who they slept with unless it was a paid-for encounter. Mina wasn't counted among the girls that performed that service for clients, so he could only presume she had a boyfriend he didn't know about. Either that, or something less savory had happened to her that he didn't even want to think about. His hands clenched into fists.

"Levi?" Hange's voice was gentle, sympathetic. "Would you like to ride with, or maybe follow behind?"

"She's...going to need to lay down, I guess," he said mechanically. "There probably won't be enough room in the car for all of us. Erwin?"

"I can drive you," assured the blond. "We shouldn't wait to get this girl seen to."

"I'll carry her," sighed Kenny.

Levi narrowed his eyes at his uncle. "Try not to sound so much like it's all just a big inconvenience for you."

"Oi, we're short on dancers tonight as it is," snapped Kenny. "It ain't my fault the girl's in this state!"

Levi's jaw clenched, and his eyes blazed.

"Boys, don't fight right now," warned Hange, stepping between the two of them. "I'll go out and start my car up. Meet you in the parking lot."

* * *

As it turned out, Hange's prognosis wasn't quite on the money. They took her to the nearest hospital on the map and got Mina the medical attention she needed right away. The doctor gave her pain medication, and she was resting in the hospital room when he came out to speak with her companions.

"She's had a clean miscarriage," he explained to them. "I'm afraid it was too late to prevent it, but she'll recover. She needs to stay off of her feet for a few days and get plenty of rest. I'm going to advise that she either have the procedure done again to ensure this doesn't occur a second time, or schedule to try and have it reversed. Mr. Ackerman, she has you listed as her power of attorney. I think the two of you should discuss this as soon as she's coherent enough to do so."

Levi wasn't particularly surprised that Mina would assign power of attorney to him. He nodded, and he glanced at Petra. "So can we see her now, or what?"

"Not the whole lot of you," advised the doctor. "You and one other person can go in. I'm afraid the rest will have to wait."

"That's fine. Come on, Petra."

Together, the two dancers went into Mina's room, leaving Kenny, Hange and Erwin behind. Petra went to Mina's side immediately, and she stroked her hair. The younger omega stirred at her touch, and she blinked groggily up at her and Levi.

"Hey," greeted Levi. He pulled up the visitor chair and had a seat next to the bed. "You okay, kid?"

Mina bit her lip. "I had a miscarriage."

Levi glanced away. "Yeah. The doctor says you'll be fine with some rest, though. I'll take you off the schedule until you feel ready to come back to work, okay? Nobody will give you any shit over it."

Mina started to cry softly, and Levi's gaze swiveled back to her with a helpless sort of frustration. It obviously wasn't a planned pregnancy, but if Mina dreamed of having the chance of having children some day, this surely had to hurt like hell. Her body had proven that babies weren't necessarily out of the question for her, and then it had turned around and rejected the one she'd accidentally conceived.

"Do you know who the father was?" Petra asked the girl gently. "Do you want us to call him for you?"

"N-no," answered Mina between sniffles. Her lower lip quivered, and she looked between Petra and Levi with a guilty expression. "He doesn't need to know. It wasn't serious between us. We just hook up sometimes."

Levi nodded, keeping his expression neutral. "Then we won't try to contact him. Has the doctor talked to you about your options?"

"Levi, I don't think she's in the right place now to discuss that," cautioned Petra, still stroking Mina's hair. "Give her more time."

There was a knock at the door, and they both turned to see Eren Jaeger sticking his head in. His eyes were wide with concern as they fell on his stricken coworker. "Hey, can I come in? Historia called me with the news, and I got here as fast as I could. Is she going to be okay?"

Levi started to snap at the other male omega about crowding Mina, but Petra pulled away from the girl's side. "It's okay. Come on in, Eren. I'll leave. Just don't stay for too long, because she needs plenty of rest."

"Sure." Eren held the door open for her, and he replaced Petra at Mina's side. He snatched a tissue out of the box sitting on the bedside table, and he quickly dabbed at Mina's eyes with it. "Is there anything we can do for you?"

Mina took the tissue from him when he offered it to her, and she shook her head. "No. I just need to decide what I'm going to do. Levi, what would _you_ do, if you were me?"

Levi blinked slowly. He hadn't even thought of how he'd deal with it, if he were in her place. He could imagine the shock and confusion she must be going through. It occurred to him then that if it could happen to Mina, it could probably happen to any of them.

"For a start, I'd start using condoms," he answered seriously. In fact, he decided he was going to make Erwin start wrapping his woody from now on. Levi knew the man was clean, but it would be just his luck for Erwin to have some kind of super sperm that could find a way to take root inside of him despite the procedure he'd had done years ago.

"You should be using condoms anyway," he pointed out, speaking half to himself. "All of us should be using them if we're fucking someone that can knock up omegas and beta females. Doesn't matter how pristine their checkup records are, better safe than sorry. If I had any idea this could even happen to one of us, I'd have that dressing room stocked with every condom you could ever need."

Mina gave him a tremulous smile. "I'm sure you would, sir."

Eren had a pensive, thoughtful look on his face. "How often does this sort of thing happen? I thought none of us had a chance of getting pregnant without a doctor's help."

Levi gave a sharp glance at Mina, who seemed on the verge of crying again. "Save it for later, Eren. Mina, I think Petra was right. Now's not a good time to make plans for something that could have a major impact on your life. Just focus on resting up and getting better."

The girl nodded. "I will, Levi. Could...you stay with me for a while? Until I fall asleep?"

It was inconvenient and Levi still didn't know why all of the other omegas found his presence so comforting, but he nodded in agreement without hesitation. Eren stayed as well, and they watched over Mina until she was slumbering deeply.

* * *

"She wouldn't say who the father was," Levi explained later to Erwin as they rode in the car back to the alpha's place. Levi stared ahead at the road with a little frown on his lips.

"Does it really matter?" reasoned Erwin. "Revealing his identity wouldn't have helped her situation, you know."

"I get that," sighed Levi. He rubbed his eyes and manipulated the power seat controls, reclining the back of his a bit for comfort. "I just wonder if she should get herself checked out. The accidental pregnancy might not be the _only_ thing he gave her, if you get my meaning."

"I'm sure she'll take that into consideration," soothed Erwin. "All of your dancers have regular checkups, so you should try not to worry over that."

Levi turned his head to regard the blond. "I also think you should start using those condoms you offered to use the first time we fucked."

At first, Erwin was surprised by the suggestion. Levi knew he was clean and never seemed concerned over using barrier protection before. It dawned on him quickly why the man would change his mind all the sudden. "You're concerned that the same thing that happened to Mina could happen to you."

Levi looked away, his lips thinning briefly. "Yeah. Our bodies aren't the same and I know they didn't sterilize me the same way they did her, but that's no guarantee male omegas don't suddenly de-sterilize themselves sometimes just like women can. I don't want to wake up with morning sickness some day. I never wanted kids, and I don't want to be in the position of having to make a choice like that."

"You never want children at all?" Erwin glanced at him curiously. "Not even if your debt to Kenny is paid off and you're in a happy, committed relationship with someone?"

Erwin didn't need to say who he thought that "someone" would be, he could tell by Levi's smirk that the dancer read between the lines of that question.

"You know what I am," reasoned Levi softly. "You know what any kids I have would grow up being, Erwin. Even if I were a nurturing sort and wanted a kid some day, It'd be pretty damned selfish of me to do it. Just like I think it's selfish for people with genetic disorders to have kids and pass it down to them just because they feel like they've got to reproduce to be happy."

"You said yourself that your vampirism isn't a disease," reminded Erwin. He wasn't sure why he was pursuing this subject with Levi. He'd never aspired to having a family some day, but for some reason it troubled him to think that the possibility was even available to him. His relationship with Levi was still new. He'd barely convinced him to give it a chance. He shouldn't be entertaining thoughts of Levi Ackerman doing the pregnant waddle with his child and craving icecream, for pity's sake.

"It's not a disease," agreed Levi, "but it's damned hard growing up with vampirism. Even if you can stand sunlight, trying to fit in with normal kids is almost impossible. Some vamps don't even live to their fifth birthday. We need a steady supply of blood; especially while we're growing up. Mom nearly lost me when she was carrying me, too. I took most of the nutrients she consumed. She couldn't seem to get enough blood to keep both of us fed. Vampire babies need milk _and_ blood to live. If they don't get enough of both, they slip into a coma."

Levi sighed, and he ran his fingers through his hair. "That's what I can expect from any kid I would have. If people think regular feedings are a nightmare, they'd never survive trying to take care of a vampire baby."

Erwin frowned at this information. "Where is your mother now?"

"Dead," answered Levi tonelessly. "She passed when I was about seven. She got sick with some kind of a disease. Probably didn't help that we lived in the slums and never had clean water to drink. I just remember her loosing a shit-ton of weight and going to sleep one day. She never woke up again."

Pity was a rare emotion for Erwin to experience, but upon hearing Levi's toneless account of watching his own mother pass away before his eyes at such a young age, it came easily to him. He reached out with his right hand, and he rubbed the omega's knee. "I'm sorry."

Levi shrugged. "It was a long time ago. I only have a few memories of her before I lost her. What about you? Are your folks still alive?"

Erwin's expression went blank, and he looked straight ahead at the road. "I haven't spoken to my parents in years. They're still alive, though."

Some people might have pressed Erwin for more details, but Levi did not. The mafia boss was grateful for that. Perhaps some day, he would open up further to Levi and tell him about the wedge between him and his family. It was a sore subject though, and not one he was in the mood to discuss.

"I'll start wearing condoms, Levi," promised Erwin. "It's important to me that you feel safe with me."

"Thanks," answered the omega softly. "Glad you understand."

* * *

-To be continued


	10. Chapter 10

Things more or less went back to normal at the club while Mina was recovering from her ordeal. The other dancers covered her shifts, splitting the extra work hours between them so that nobody got overworked. Eren happened to be taking one of those shifts on Wednesday when his friend Armin came into the club. It occurred to Eren that he'd once again forgotten that they had a tutoring appointment, and he groaned to himself, barely refraining from smacking himself in the face. He spun around the dance pole, keeping his self-irritation out of his expression in the interest of not turning people off. As he was just about to finish his dance and get off the stage, Mikasa also came into the club. What happened next was a highly awkward moment.

"Armin?" Mikasa called, approaching the bar stool that the blond was sitting in.

Eren frowned and blinked. She knew his name?

"Mikasa!" Armin looked at the young woman, and his face turned bright red.

"Wait a minute, you two know each other?" called Eren, now too curious to avoid addressing it. He picked up his discarded garments, slipped his thong on and got off the stage. He knew it was a sloppy way to end his routine, but he had to get to the bottom of this. Yes, Armin had said he knew a Mikasa, but he'd told Eren she was some kind of body trainer.

"Eren," said Mikasa, turning her attention to the green-eyed dancer as he made his way over to them. "This is my friend Armin—who I had no idea I'd ever run into in this place. Armin, this is my new boyfriend Eren."

"Your...boyfriend?" Armin's blue eyes were wide, flicking between the couple with obvious surprise. "When did you start dating?"

"Just this past weekend," Eren said, in a rash of confusion now. "How do you guys know each other? I thought you said the Mikasa you knew was a fitness instructor!"

Armin began to stutter uncomfortably, giving Mikasa a sidelong glance as she raised her brows at him. "W-well, the thing about that, Eren...wait, how did _you_ two meet each other? I thought you said your Mikasa was a tax collector."

Now it was Eren's turn to get uncomfortable, caught in a lie just like Armin. "I...uh...she..."

Mikasa folded her arms over her chest, looking at each of the young men respectively. "So I'm a tax-collecting fitness instructor, am I? My life is busier than I thought."

"Okay, hold on," begged Eren with a "timeout" gesture. "Let's go out back to talk about this, okay? It's too noisy in here."

"Yes," agreed Armin, blushing and shooting a wary look around. "This should be a private conversation."

"Agreed," stated Mikasa.

* * *

"So," Eren said uncomfortably once the three of them were outside at the back of the club, "Your Mikasa is also my Mikasa."

Armin glanced at the young woman beside him. "So it seems. I had no idea that the two of you knew one another, let alone that you were dating. I should have realized you might have met, though."

"Why would you have guessed that?" puzzled Eren. "Sometimes people just know someone with the same name."

Armin sighed, and he looked down. "When you told me who bought out your club. I have to confess, Eren: I knew who Erwin Smith was right away because...well, Mikasa? Should I tell him? This isn't really my call."

"If you're referring to my career having nothing to do with collecting taxes or fitness training, he already knows." Mikasa had slipped on a pair of shades she kept in her jacket, grimacing slightly against the rays of the setting sunlight.

"Oh." Armin looked at Eren again. "So you know she's in a rather delicate business."

Eren nodded. "Yeah, I know. It's how I met her."

Armin sighed. "Then I assume it's why you said the Mikasa you know collects taxes."

Eren shrugged, smiling a little. "It was all I could come up with at the spur of the moment. I didn't want to just say outright that she's...uh..." he leaned closer to the blond, and he finished in a whisper. "...in the mafia."

"I feel so foolish," admitted Armin. "We were both trying to protect her privacy, but if I'd just considered that she might sometimes stop into the club and could have already met you, we could have avoided this awkwardness entirely. I don't know where my head has been."

"Armin, you couldn't have guessed that my boss would send me here to conduct his business," reasoned Mikasa. "As I've told you before, I'm still new in the business and he usually has his captains deal with new investments. So, how did you two meet, anyway? I know you aren't the type to frequent exotic dance clubs."

"Armin and I met at the library," explained Eren. He smiled at his friend. "He saw me struggling to teach myself how to read, and he took pity on me and offered me lessons. It's not something I tell a lot of people, because it's embarrassing to be illiterate at my age."

"You aren't illiterate anymore," Armin pointed out with a kind smile. "You're almost reading at an adult level now, Eren. Just a few more months, and you won't need my help anymore."

Eren's smile faltered a bit. What would happen once he didn't need Armin's instruction any longer? Would they lose touch? Without that reason to spend time with him, why would Armin keep sticking around?

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Eren replied, trying hard not to sound disappointed by the prospect.

Armin looked at Mikasa. "Are we still having our movie night this week? I understand if you'd rather cancel it and spend time with your...boyfriend."

Eren cocked his head. Was he imagining it, or did Armin sound a little upset? Maybe he was afraid that Eren would get between his and Mikasa's friendship. "Hey, don't cancel your plans on my account. If you guys already have plans, you should stick with them."

"Or, you could join us on our movie night," Mikasa suggested. "We were just going to go to Armin's house and rent something. There's nothing in the theaters playing right now that I'm interested in seeing."

Eren looked from his girlfriend to Armin uncertainly. He liked the thought of spending time with both of them, but he didn't want to push his way in. He wondered if Armin possibly harbored secret romantic feelings for Mikasa, and that note of disappointment he'd thought he had heard was due to finding Eren was dating her now.

_~Shit, did I hurt my friend by getting with someone he had his eye on? I really hope not. Friends aren't supposed to get with someone they know one of their friends like, but how was I supposed to know? I thought he knew a different Mikasa!~_

"I like that idea," Armin said. "That is, if Eren has Friday night off. How about it, Eren? Do you think you could work it into your schedule?"

"Sure, if I ask Levi about it tonight and don't wait until the last minute." Eren relaxed a bit. Maybe he was just being paranoid about Armin's feelings over him and Mikasa. Maybe what he'd heard in his tone was just surprise. It _was_ kind of a weird way for the blond to find out they were together. "I'm sure something can get worked out."

"Then it's settled," stated Armin. "I can come and pick you both up, and I'll have some snacks ready for us. Would pizza do for you both?"

"Yeah, pizza would be great," enthused Eren. "The only toppings I don't like are pineapple and anchovies."

"I'll make a note of that," promised Armin. "Mikasa doesn't like anchovies either. I seem to be the only one I know that does."

"We can just do as we did the last time," suggested Mikasa, "and order small, separate pizzas so that nobody has to go without the topping they want. You know what I like."

"All right," agreed Armin. He smiled. "It sounds like a fun gathering."

Eren nodded, though inwardly, he wondered if he was biting off more than he could chew. Him, alone with his girlfriend and the beta male that he had more than friendly feelings for. Then there was his uncertainty about Armin's reactions to finding out they were dating, and he worried about having any romantic interactions with Mikasa in front of Armin. He'd already agreed to the movie night though, so the best he could do was play it by ear and hope he didn't mess things up between any of them.

* * *

Levi was admittedly confused the next morning when he answered his door to find Erwin standing there, dragging a large cooler behind him. Still half-asleep, the omega rubbed his eyes and stepped back to admit his lover. "What's going on?" he said, covering up a yawn. "You never called or texted me to tell me you were coming over."

"That's because I wanted to surprise you," reasoned Erwin. He waited for Levi to close the door before lifting the lid on the cooler and gesturing at its contents. "Go ahead. Have a look."

More curious than he cared to admit, the dancer tied his robe more tightly shut, and he leaned over to peer into the cooler. He tilted his head, his brows pinching a bit. "Packs of blood?"

"Yes." Erwin nodded, seeming quite pleased with himself. "I'm not sure how much you need to consume each month to suit your nutritional needs, but this should be enough for you whenever I'm not available to donate."

"So you're really serious about me only getting it from you, eh?" Levi bent over to collect one of the cold bags. "How'd you get this? Have one of your people rob a blood bank?"

"Hange has certain connections," explained Erwin.

Levi gave him a wary look. "What did you tell her?"

"Not that my boyfriend is a vampire and doesn't consume enough blood, if that's your concern," chuckled Erwin. "As far as Hange is concerned, this is for charity purposes. That isn't exactly a lie. You need blood to live, and we happen to have a way to facilitate that for you."

"Huh. Well, you're slick; I'll give you that." Levi put the pack he'd been examining back inside the cooler with the others, and he absently wiped his hands on his robe to dry the moisture on them from handling it. "How long does it keep? I've never tried keeping my own supply of human blood handy, before."

"Forty-two days in the refrigerator," informed Erwin. "It can keep for up to ten years if frozen, however. It may not be as good thawed out, but it should work for an emergency situation."

Levi leaned against the back of his couch. "And Hange didn't think it was weird when you asked her about that?"

"I didn't ask her," corrected Erwin. "I looked it up online. I know better than to ask Hange medical questions that I otherwise wouldn't be asking her."

"I see." Levi shut the lid, and he hesitated. This was an unusual gesture. He didn't know how to respond to it. What did one say to a person that gave them a few months' supply of blood, anyhow? It was a first for him.

"Oh, and I have something else for you, as well," Erwin said. He reached into the pocket of his long, white coat, and he withdrew what appeared to be a couple of tickets. "Clear your schedule on the twenty-third of this month. I'm taking you to see the Ice Capades."

Levi was again bewildered. "What?"

"You enjoy ice skating, don't you?" pressed Erwin.

Wondering how the man knew that, Levi nodded slowly. He didn't recall ever telling Erwin of that interest. Just who had he been talking to behind Levi's back? "Yeah, I like it. Don't remember ever telling you, though."

Erwin bent over to plant a kiss on the omega's forehead. "I asked around. I wanted it to be a surprise, or I would have asked you directly what sort of activity might appeal to you on a date night. What do you think?"

"I think you're sneakier than even my uncle," remarked Levi dryly, his cheeks warming. "Maybe you should be a Private Eye instead of a mafia boss."

"So then you're pleased with my date night idea?" prompted Erwin.

"It sounds...like fun," admitted Levi. He'd never actually been to an ice show in person. It was a thing reserved for his bucket list of things to do if he ever finished paying Kenny off and had the money to blow on it.

"Good, then." Erwin put the tickets back into his pocket. "It's a date. I know it's a bit early in the day for you, but do you mind if I stay for a while?"

"I guess that's fine." Levi wondered why showing the man a little gratitude was so hard for him. These were not cheap gifts Erwin was presenting him with, nor were they easy to obtain. Unless he'd gotten the blood through theft, this must have set him back more than five-hundred dollars all together. Levi knew the tickets were around a hundred dollars each, if not more.

He then considered Erwin's offer to provide him with his own blood, and Levi thought that was a subject they should discuss sooner, rather than later. "About the blood thing," he said softly, lowering his gaze. "I think you should see what it's like to share your blood before we finalize that deal and take Eren off the menu. Shit, I didn't mean to say it like that."

Erwin chuckled at the irony of Levi's choice of words. "It isn't exactly an inaccurate phrase to use, Levi. Are you hungry right now?"

Levi mentally counted how long it had been since he'd drained that poor bastard dry the night Erwin discovered what he was. He could probably put it off for another couple of weeks, but he didn't want to wait until he was in another hunger swoon to introduce Erwin to the experience. Biting into someone when he was ravenous for blood could lead to taking too much, and he needed to be careful not to repeat that mistake again.

"Yeah, I should feed pretty soon," he decided. He took the alpha's hands in his, and he guided him over to the other side of the couch. He urged Erwin to sit down, and once he did, Levi straddled his lap. He unbuttoned Erwin's coat and he parted the material to bare his throat. His fangs were already elongating and his mouth started to water with the memory of that time he'd had a small taste of Erwin's blood before.

"You've got a nice neck," complimented Levi. He cupped Erwin's face, tilting his head to the side and deciding where his fangs were going to go in. He met Erwin's gaze, and he parted his lips deliberately to reveal his fangs to view. Erwin didn't try to draw away from him, and he showed no fear.

"Try not to flinch, okay? This will sting a bit, at first. If you jerk too much when they go in, it could cause some tearing and make the punctures bigger than they need to be."

Erwin nodded. "I understand. Go ahead, Levi."

* * *

Erwin had expected the sting when Levi's sharp fangs bit down, but he wasn't expecting the way it felt once the omega began to suck at the wounds. Levi's lips were warm and soft against his throat, and as the smaller man licked and sucked at the punctures, a different sensation started to grow. At first, Erwin denied it, but as the moments ticked by and Levi made a little purring noise of satisfaction, there was no doubt about it. He was getting sexually excited by the act. His groin began to pull taut in his pants, and his hands slid down Levi's back to cup his firm little ass. Whether it was because it was Levi or because Erwin had discovered a new kink he didn't know he even had, there was something decidedly erotic about the feeling of having his blood drawn this way.

"Erwin," murmured Levi between sucks, his breath warm against the alpha's throat, "you okay, or what?"

Erwin opened his eyes groggily, his cheeks were flushed, and his chest was rising and falling a bit rapidly with his quickening breath. "I'm...okay. Drink as much as you need."

Levi waited another moment, and then his lips were sucking gently again at the small puncture wounds. Erwin's breath caught, and his brows forked as he released Levi's bottom to arrange the fold of his coat, hoping to hide his condition from the vampire. He kept getting harder and harder in his pants as his companion suckled contentedly, his tongue stroking against the wounds to taste the blood as it filled his mouth.

"Do I...taste good?" Erwin murmured dazedly. His hands clenched as he resisted the temptation to start rubbing himself. The last thing he wanted to do was start jerking off while Levi was feeding on him. That would just be obscene. The purpose of doing this was to ensure his lover got the nutrients he needed, not to get off.

"Mmm-hmm," confirmed Levi, again making that purring noise. "You're very tasty."

Erwin fought with himself as it went on, trying not to squirm. Sooner than anticipated, Levi pulled away and examined the bite. "I didn't think to grab a bandage before doing this," muttered the omega. "Be right back. Just keep your hand over it while I get what we need."

A bit dizzy from both minor blood loss and the inappropriate lust he felt, Erwin wordlessly obeyed him. He waited silently while Levi hurried out of the small living room, and the alpha listened as his lover rummaged around in the bathroom. Levi returned a short while later, carrying a roll of bandage with him, a package of gauze and some medical tape. He also had a washcloth, which he offered to Erwin to wipe his hands off with.

"Okay, hold still while I take care of this," instructed Levi softly. He tore open the gauze package, and the square of cloth was damp with some sort of antiseptic. He pressed it firmly against Erwin's neck and held it there while tugging loose the bandage roll. He met the alpha's gaze briefly as he started winding the thin, gauzy bandaging around his throat to hold the sterile square in place. "How are you feeling? Any nausea?"

"No, I'm just a bit dizzy," answered the mafia boss. He sighed with embarrassment when Levi's thigh pressed against his erection. "And horny, as you can probably tell now."

Levi didn't seem even a little surprised. "That happens." He pulled some medical tape free, and he applied it to keep the dressing in place.

"You mean to tell me this is a normal response?" Erwin's brows went up slightly.

"Yeah. There's something in our saliva that gets into the blood. I guess it's like taking a little dose of ecstasy, from what one guy told me. Must be nature's way of ensuring the one we're feeding on gets some pleasure out of it, or else it's to keep them from struggling. You're not a weirdo for getting a happy from it, Erwin."

"Oh. Some forewarning about that would have been nice." Erwin smiled at him, though. "I was bracing myself to be accused of being perverse."

Levi gazed at him levelly, and his face was perfectly expressionist as he replied to that. "Maybe I wanted to surprise you."

* * *

It was true that Levi could have warned Erwin about the way his body would likely react to being fed on, but in truth once he had the man's throat exposed for biting, he'd completely forgotten to mention it. The hunger had sharpened quickly, and then his mind was only on appeasing it. Erwin seemed to accept his fabrication that he'd kept quiet about it deliberately, and Levi went into his kitchen to grab a cookie for the other man to eat. He always kept them around for Eren, along with a carton of orange juice. He poured a cup of the latter for Erwin as well before bringing the baked treat to him.

"Here, it'll help," Levi informed him. He sat down beside the blond and he watched as Erwin munched on the offering. He softened his voice, feeling a twinge of guilt for taking more from him than he'd intended to. "Do you need to lay down?"

Erwin shook his head and sipped his juice. "I'll be fine, Levi. This is no worse than donating at a blood drive."

The omega lowered his gaze. "Yeah, when I don't go overboard. I drank more than my usual limit. Did you drive here, or did your chauffer drop you off?"

"I drove," replied Erwin. "I gave Nile the day off. I wasn't anticipating us doing this today."

"Well, you'd better not try to drive anywhere for a while," cautioned Levi. "I can drop you off at your place and take a cab to work later on, if that's what we have to do. We don't need you blacking out and wrapping your car around a tree or something."

That quiet, warm smile re-appeared on the blond's handsome face.

"What?" Levi demanded, feeling a surge of unexpected and out of character shyness. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because you're very cute when you're worried about me," murmured Erwin. He traced Levi's features with his fingertips.

Levi cleared his throat, and he muttered a gruff response. "I'd be responsible if anything happened to you because you fed me. Don't get all excited."

Erwin's smile didn't fade. "Perhaps I _could_ use a little nap. It's still quite early. Care to lie down with me for a while?"

Levi glanced at the clock on the nearby coffee table thoughtfully. "Yeah, some more shuteye might be good. I'll be working a late shift tonight. Come on, the bed's still turned down."

* * *

As it turned out, their "little nap" got delayed. As soon as Levi opened his robe to reveal the skimpy black briefs he wore beneath it, Erwin's mind was on other thinks besides having a nap. Staring at the dancer's fair, toned body, Erwin undid his coat the rest of the way before flinging it absently over the foot of the bed. He yanked his sweater over his head and deposited it next, and Levi blurted a low protest as the alpha kicked off his loafers and nearly hit the full length mirror on the closet door with one of them.

"Oi, careful," warned the omega. "You might have the money to smash all the mirrors and glass you want in your place, but I don't."

"My apologies," stated Erwin, and he tugged Levi into his arms, running his hands possessively over the smaller man's scanty-clad form. "The sight of you in this tiny thing made me forget myself."

"Well, don't—" Levi started to say, but Erwin's mouth was crushing against his urgently before he could finish speaking.

Within moments, he relaxed in the blond's embrace and accepted his tongue into his mouth. Erwin could taste the salty flavor of his own blood lingering in his companion's mouth, but it didn't turn him off. He swelled in his pants again, and he lifted Levi against him to deposit him on the queen-sized bed. The loss of blood from earlier did nothing to diminish his libido, and Levi's favorable reaction to his kiss was proof that he wasn't alone in his desire.

* * *

A good while later, Levi lay panting for breath on his side, with Erwin's tall body spooned up intimately behind him. This time the alpha hadn't gone into a rut, and Erwin had the presence of mind to use one of the appropriate condoms he'd started keeping on his person for Levi's sake. He kissed the omega's heated temple as they basked in the afterglow of the encounter together, both of them flushed and winded. They'd only done it once, but Erwin lasted long enough to give Levi two orgasms before reaching completion himself. Just like the previous times they'd had sex, it was a more than memorable experience. He'd taken Levi on his back first, watching every flitter of pleasure that stole over the omega's face. It was just as awe-inspiring to see those hooded eyes light up with the supernatural glow this time as it had been the first time he'd seen it happen. Levi seemed to have no control over it when he started getting close to climax, and Erwin wondered if it happened every time or if it just happened with him.

"Levi," murmured Erwin between kisses, reminded of how he'd reacted to being fed on earlier, "you said that it's normal for people to experience arousal during a feeding."

Levi nodded, his expression content and his eyes closed. "Yeah."

"So I take it Eren is no exception?"

Levi's eyes cracked open, and he turned his head to look up at the other man's face, hovering over his shoulder. "No, he's not. He'd get stiffies too when I fed on him. It didn't mean anything, though. We just learned to blow it off after a while. I told you we've never fooled around outside of doing a couple of dances together on request."

"I believe you," assured Erwin. "I'm just curious. I imagine that must have been awkward for you both, at first."

Levi shrugged. He turned over to face the alpha, and he put an arm around Erwin's waist. "He was embarrassed about it at first, but I warned him it was probably gonna happen before I drank from him for the first time."

Erwin didn't mention that would have been a courtesy he would have appreciated. Levi seemed to have a habit of testing him now and then, pushing his boundaries to see how much he could get away with. Erwin was starting to get used to that. He started to speak again, but he ruthlessly bit back the foolish words that nearly came out of his mouth. He'd very nearly pointed out that the client Levi accidentally drained to death must have went out a happy man.

"What's that look for?" asked Levi, seeing the way Erwin's eyes briefly widened over his near blunder.

"Ah, I was just wondering if you ever experience any arousal when you're feeding," Erwin excused. "I was so caught up in my own reactions that I didn't consider whether you might be having that response as well."

"Sometimes," clarified Levi. "It depends on who I'm biting."

"Did you feel aroused while feeding on me?" persisted Erwin curiously, smiling at him.

A hint of color blossomed in Levi's cheeks. "What do you think?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking you." Erwin found his sudden bashfulness endearing. Levi certainly didn't like to admit his feelings to others.

"Yeah, all right?" muttered the omega, averting his pale gaze. "I got a woody sucking on your blood."

The almost sulky way Levi admitted it make Erwin smile more. "That pleases me to hear."

He dropped back down to the pillow on his side, pulled Levi closer and nuzzled the back of his neck. Erwin closed his eyes to make good on his idea of having a short nap, but then his phone went off. He sighed, and he sat up to try and locate it. He'd had it in his coat. Patting Levi on the rump, he got out of bed to retrieve it and see who it was.

"Excuse me, Levi. I need to take this," announced the blond when he saw that it was a message from Nanaba.

* * *

Erwin had to leave before planned, be cause Eddie Darringson had contacted his people with a request for a meeting with Erwin. It wasn't hard to guess what this could be about. Two of the rival syndicate boss' people went missing at The Omega Experience, and now Eddie probably had some questions for him about that. Erwin told Nanaba to gather the captains up and a couple of soldiers, and have everyone meet up at the warehouse for this meeting. He then got off the phone with her, returned to Levi's bedroom and began to dress.

"What's up?" Levi asked him, peeking out from under the pillow he'd put over his head.

Erwin finished pulling his pants up, and he went over to the blinds to draw them completely shut for his companion's sake. "I've got a business meeting to attend, and I'm afraid it can't wait. It came up suddenly."

Levi rolled onto his back, and he sat up in bed. Now that the bedroom was cast in shadow, he was obviously more comfortable. "Does it involve the club?"

Erwin considered his words carefully. He picked up his sweater and put it on as he spoke. "In a manner of speaking."

"There you go, being vague," grumbled Levi. "Oi, if it's something that could affect my dancers, I need to know about it."

"It won't," promised Erwin.

He met the omega's eyes after getting his sweater over his head, and he paused at the probing, determined look in them. Erwin sighed, and he walked over to the bed to sit down on the edge of it.

"All right," he said, slipping his socks and shoes on as he spoke. "This could involve the incident that happened in the office that day, when those men showed up at the club and started trouble. We have reason to believe they worked for Eddie Darringson, and by Hange's account, they tried to get a cut of the profits under the pretext that Kenny still owed money. I know for a fact that isn't true, as I paid off his debt to Darringson."

"So you think this guy's going to try and split the club with you or get you to trade it off?" Levi frowned, his eyes gleaming briefly.

"He's welcome to try, but he won't succeed," assured Erwin. "It could also be about two of his men going missing. He only told my people that he wants to discuss business and territory with me. It could even be an attempt to clear up a 'misunderstanding' and cut a deal to avoid future conflict."

"You really believe that?" Levi raised a brow. "After what those thugs tried to pull?"

"If their boss wasn't aware of their actions or doesn't want to claim responsibility for them, it's possible." Erwin shrugged. "This sort of business does have its politics, Levi. Disputes sometimes can be handled with compromise and diplomacy. Granted, it's not common for a boss to apologize to another boss, but I've seen it happen before."

"Just don't let your guard down," advised the dancer. "He could just be trying to lure you in to take you out. You've already had one punk take a stab at you since you bought the club, and then those other guys busted in pushing their weight around a day later. I think these people are trying to get you out of the way, or at least wrestle territory from you."

"You may very well be right," conceded Erwin, "but that's what I intend to find out. If I fail to show at a meeting between families, it's going to make me appear weak in the eyes of my rivals. It can be a cutthroat lifestyle and a boss must always be confident, in control and unafraid of getting his own hands dirty. Don't worry, Levi. This will all get straightened out."

The dancer's expression was blank, but his eyes told Erwin that he doubted it would be as simple as that. On impulse, Erwin reached out to rub his wrists against Levi's neck on either side, leaving more of his scent on him. There was no time to mark him more thoroughly, but their earlier lovemaking had already refreshed the alpha scent nicely.

"What about the bandage?" Levi said, closing his eyes and breathing in the additional scent Erwin was leaving on him. "You show up looking like you're injured and they might think you're not at your best. You're not supposed to be driving right now, either."

"Mike is going to pick me up," explained Erwin, "and I can turn up the neck of this sweater to conceal it. I'll return for my car after we've concluded our business."

"Here." Levi suddenly got out of the bed and went to the black lacquer dresser by the closet. He opened up one of the top drawers and he fished around as Erwin admired his naked backside. Levi turned back with a white cloth accessory in his hands, and he approached the seated alpha.

"Wear this," insisted Levi, and he looped the cravat around Erwin's neck and tied it neatly before the blond could ask him what it was. Levi pulled back to survey his handiwork, and he nodded. "Looks good on you, and it covers everything up."

Erwin reached up to touch the material, smelling Levi's scent all over it. He almost said he wasn't a cravat sort of person, but he changed his mind. This was Levi's. Whether he was just lending it or gifting it to him, it was a personal clothing item that the dancer obviously favored in his wardrobe. Erwin had seen Eren wearing one after feeding Levi, and now he knew it must have belonged to the little omega. Erwin glanced at the mirror on the closet. At least the cravat didn't clash with his outfit, even if it did look slightly out of place on him.

"Thank you," he said softly. He smiled. Levi probably didn't even know how sweet the gesture was to him.

* * *

"Just watch these people," Hange cautioned in a whisper as Connie and Sylvia escorted Darringson and his men into the big warehouse office. "I recognize one of them. He was guarding the front door to keep any staff from getting out, that day they came stirring trouble."

"Nobody here is packing," Mike reminded in a low voice. "That was the agreement. They had to check their weapons at the door."

"Everyone comes packing with something," Dita said. "Like they're just going to trust us not to be armed."

Hange nodded with agreement, and Erwin was sure the tricky alpha woman had some kind of elaborate, hidden weapon she was more than ready to use if the situation arose. He was no fool: He had people armed in the rafters, and he knew their guests had armed people waiting outside just in case. Such was the nature of meetings like this. With any luck, it would end favorably with no gunfire or brawling.

Erwin stood up to greet Eddie as the other syndicate leader approached the table. He smiled in a business-like manner and shook his hand, and he poured drinks for the man and his three captains himself.

"I understand some of your people came to my club recently to solicit money from the manager," Erwin said calmly, getting right down to business. He took his seat again, and he threaded his fingers together on top of the table. "I take it you've spoken with my Consigliore on this matter?"

Around Erwin's age, Eddie was a half-head shorter than him, with collar-length brown hair and hazel eyes. While he didn't have a rough look about him, he dressed well and his appearance was neat.

"I've spoken to Mister Shadis," answered the other boss, "and I wanted to get this unfortunate matter cleared up. I didn't order that shakedown. I didn't find out about it until the day after. However, two of my people went missing that night, and the last place they were at alive was at the Omega Experience."

"I see." Erwin turned to Hange. "You were there. What can you tell Mr. Darringson about that?"

They had already rehearsed this, so Hange didn't so much as blink. "They came in, and two of them barged into Kenny's office while we were doing business. They drew on us and said Ackerman still owes money." She shrugged and spread her hands. "It could have become very ugly at that point, but then the fire alarms went off. That sufficiently interrupted their little visit. Everyone made tracks for the nearest exit, and that was the last I saw of them."

"Maybe they're on the lamb because they went over your head," suggested Nanaba. "If you really didn't order it, they might have decided it was best to disappear for a while after their plan failed."

"Hmm, maybe," mused Eddie. "Or maybe the situation got uglier than what this lady's describing. I've got a feeling they're somewhere at the bottom of a river."

"If they are, then perhaps they crossed paths with one of the other syndicates around this territory," suggested Erwin.

Eddie made another thoughtful sound, nodding his head. He pulled a cigar out of his pocket and he raised his brows at Erwin. "Do you mind?"

"Help yourself." Erwin slid the ashtray across the table to him. "I hope you find your missing people soon. It's dangerous business to have defectors on the lamb."

"You keep pushing that possibility," observed the other boss, "but I know these guys, and they're loyal. Stupid sometimes, but loyal. We've used all of our resources to find them, Smith, and usually a body shows up eventually. These guys just seemed to have vanished like they never existed, though."

"Which is why the possibility of them fleeing isn't so unreasonable," countered Erwin, "but you obviously know your men better than I do. I'm merely suggesting that once they realized they caused friction with another syndicate and had nothing to give you to show for it, they may have decided to lie low."

Eddie shrugged. "I won't wipe it off the table. There's more to discuss here than my missing people and the misunderstanding that occurred at your club. I've got something to show you that you might be interested in looking at, Smith. It concerns one of your dancers."

Erwin's expression remained calm and professional as the other mafia boss gestured at one of his captains, and they in turn opened up the filing case they'd brought with them to set it on the table. The man opened up the case, pulled out a folder, and slid it over the table to Erwin.

"And what is this?" questioned the blond as he turned the folder around and opened it up. He went still when he saw the top page of the stack within. It was a copy of a photograph that someone had taken, and it was Levi's apartment building.

At first he didn't understand. Couldn't think of a reason why they would take pictures of a stripper's residence. Then he turned the page and looked at the next picture, and the next picture after that. Whoever had taken them used a good quality camera, and it was easy to recognize Levi standing outside of his building at the entrance steps. With him was a man, and upon looking at the next page, Erwin was able to recognize him, as well.

It was the man Levi had killed.

* * *

-To be continued


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I WAS updating these fast. I ran out of pre-written chapters, and so it's slowed down a bit. I'm going out of town for ten days at the end of the week and I won't have internet access again until I come back, so I'm going to try to write and upload another chapter before we depart. I hope everyone enjoys it, and thank you to all that have commented and given kudos so far!

Levi didn't see or hear from Erwin that night, or the entire next day afterwards. He ended up taking one of Mina's early shifts because he didn't feel like sleeping after his late shift, and he needed to distract himself from thoughts of Erwin. He left the mafia boss two texts—one at the end of his late shift, and another before he started the early one the next day. Finally, just as Levi was about to finish his last dance of the second shift, he saw a familiar, tall figure walk in through the front doors of the club. He kept dancing even as he watched Erwin make his way through the crowd. Mike was with him, as was Hange. They came up to the center stage bar, and Erwin removed his shades to look up at Levi. He didn't need to say anything. The meaningful look in his sapphire gaze was enough to tell Levi that he wanted to speak with him.

Levi's brows furrowed slightly as he slid down off the pole, upside-down in the splits. His shoulders touched down first, and he pushed off of the pole's smooth surface with one foot to do a graceful backwards tumble. He got to his feet, ran his hands over his body and bowed his head. The song he'd picked died down, the lights dimmed, and Levi exited the stage while the patrons watching clapped and hooted. Snatching up his garments on the way, he tied on the string briefs he'd worn for this set, and he paused in the hallway to put his stretchy black pants on. Still dressing as he went, he resumed his walk to the office hallway.

By the time he made it to the door, he had his lace up boots and his loose, long-sleeved black shirt on. Erwin and his companions were already there waiting, and Ymir was unlocking the door for them. Kenny wasn't there this early in the day, so they would have the office all to themselves.

"You two wait in here," Erwin said to his captains. "Levi, I want a private VIP room to speak with you alone."

Levi frowned. The mood was far too heavy for this to be one of Erwin's private dance requests. Something more was going on, and he could guess it had to do with this meeting Erwin had last night. "What's this all about?"

"I'll tell you when we're alone," said Erwin sternly. Marco came down the hall with a bottle of brandy and two glasses, which he offered to Erwin. "Thank you, Marco."

Levi glanced at the waiter, assuming that Erwin must have requested the alcohol before heading to the office. He shrugged, and he went into the office to retrieve a keycard for one of the available VIP booths. They took the back stairs up to the second floor, and Levi tried to quell the sinking feeling growing in his gut with each step. He could feel anger radiating from his lover, and he couldn't be sure it wasn't directed at him. He couldn't think of anything he'd done to piss Erwin off, though. Maybe his second text to the man after Erwin didn't respond to the first was too rude and crass. He couldn't recall exactly what he'd typed, but there was a "You fucker" in there somewhere.

"Have a seat," suggested Erwin as they walked into the booth and Levi turned the lights on to a dim setting.

Glancing between the tall, powerful blond and the two cushioned armchairs in the room, Levi did as he was bidden and sat down in the farther one. Erwin joined him to the left, and the alpha took off his coat to drape it over the back of his chair. He opened up the brandy and poured some in each of the two glasses. He handed one to Levi, put the bottle down and then took a deep swallow of the one he'd poured for himself.

"Let me preface this by saying that I still mean everything I've said to you," stated Erwin, "and I still want you."

For one of the very few times in his life, Levi felt as small as he was built, and he was very, very confused. "Is this about the 'fucker' thing in my text? Hey, I was worried, all right? You told me you were going to have a meeting with a rival boss, and then you never contacted me. I get pissed off when people leave me hanging."

Erwin gave a little frown, and then he reached into his coat to get his phone out. He checked through the messages. When he found Levi's most recent one, he read it aloud.

_"Thought you said you wanted to meet up with me today. Nice effort, fucker."_

Erwin looked sidelong at Levi, raising a brow. "I keep my phone turned off when conducting important business. I've been extremely busy, and I came here immediately to look for you when I didn't find you at your apartment."

"Then pick up the phone and call," suggested Levi defensively. "You'd have known I was taking on an early shift, if you'd bothered. So if you didn't see my message, then you're pissed about something else. What's going on?"

Erwin's expression fell back into that intensely serious look again. He put his phone away with a sigh. "Edward Darringson knows you were the last person to see Greg Cole alive. He knows that the man entered your apartment with you and never came back out. He knows that you and I later came back to your apartment, and he knows my people joined us. He has no solid proof of what actually happened, but he's got photographic evidence of Oluo, Mikasa and Connie coming and going with cleaning equipment and garbage bags."

Levi absorbed this quietly, a chill going through him. "So what? That just proves they were cleaning something up. Doesn't prove they were disposing of a body."

"True, and there is nothing left of that body to find. However, the connections are the real problem. While the authorities haven't found anything solid to pin on me and I have resources to keep that from happening, you know of my reputation. Oluo is known to work for me."

"What does this guy think he's going to do with these pictures? It doesn't sound like there's anything in them they could really use against us."

"Perhaps not, but the photos weren't the only information he imparted to me." Erwin rubbed his forehead, bowing it briefly as he visibly pulled his thoughts together. When he lifted his head again and looked at the dancer, that stern visage was back again.

"Greg Cole wasn't simply a client you saw from time to time, was he? You knew him before that, possibly quite well."

Levi stared at him. He didn't speak.

"Allow me to answer that for you," Erwin went on softly. "He was an associate of your uncle's. The two of them together amassed substantial wealth through shady dealings. While Kenny invested his in the club, Cole parted ways with his share and moved to another town to get into the casino business. In addition to that, he was the one to inform your uncle of the omegas that were going to be sold in the underground sex trade. He assisted with the purchase of them, pulling strings for Kenny so that he could make the investment."

"Erwin—" began Levi.

"But there's more," continued the blond, giving Levi a warning look to let him finish. "He didn't just make those arrangements for his old partner. He managed to sabotage a Stohess kingpen's bid to purchase those omegas in order to procure them for Kenny. I imagine that made him some enemies."

Erwin sipped his drink again, and then poured more into it. He leaned over in his seat to regard Levi with piercing, intense blue eyes. "Kenny wasn't paying off a lone shark because he got into debt gambling. He bought your fiends out from underneath a powerful man, and Cole had to settle it with the original bidder since he arranged for it to happen. The actual cost of paying that kingpen restitution for his loss fell to your uncle, though. Kenny went to Darringson to cover that additional cost."

"Are you finished?" Levi said when Erwin took a break from playing detective. The omega's jaw had tightened, and his glass creaked in his hand with the force of his grip on it.

Erwin leaned back in his chair again. "By all means, I would like to hear your thoughts on this."

"Tch. All right." Levi turned in his seat and folded one leg up on it, slouching over as he gazed at Erwin. "First off, where did you get this information?"

"Some of it came from Darringson himself," answered the blond. "The rest came from researching deeply myself, with the help of Hange. That's what we've been doing since the meeting yesterday, Levi."

"I see." Levi took a deep breath, and he decided to top up his drink, as well. "Yeah, I knew Greg for a while. I knew he used to work with Kenny, and I knew he was the one that helped him get the dancers out of that place after I made the deal with him in exchange. I didn't know he fucked with a kingpen somewhere to make it happen, so the rest of that is news to me. If that part's really true, it answers some questions I've been asking myself, too."

Erwin cocked his head. "What sort of questions?"

"Like why he'd start implying that if I didn't cooperate, my friends might end up right back where they started," admitted Levi, his voice losing its edge.

Erwin frowned, sitting up straighter. "Who, Kenny?"

"No." The omega gazed into his glass. "Greg. Everything I told you about that night I drained him was the truth. I just left a couple things out."

Some of the hardness in Erwin's expression softened. "Tell me, Levi."

The omega sighed, and he traced the rim of his glass with a fingertip, absently making it emit a low, chiming note. "He was different that night. I always put up with Greg better than I did Kenny. Didn't exactly _like_ him, but he usually respected my boundaries on escort dates. Sometimes he'd try to push me, but never like _that_ before. First he tried to just convince me to let him down my pants. He's done that before, and I said no. Then he started getting too familiar with his hands. I told him that was enough, and he had to leave."

Levi stopped making the glass ring, and he looked up from it to meet Erwin's eyes. "Then he said I owe him. He said we wouldn't have such a successful club if it weren't for him, and maybe I should be nicer to him and think about my dancers could end up, if he talked to the right people. He also said something about me not fairing much better, but by then I was too pissed to listen further."

Levi scowled, looking away. "Kenny fucking hid things from me. I didn't know about that kingpen, and I didn't know him and Greg were compensating the guy for not getting his..."

"Investment," finished Erwin softly for him. He nodded. "Go on."

"There's not much else to say. I didn't know exactly what he was talking about, but the threat was pretty obvious." Levi shrugged. "I told him to get out while he could still stand and never come near me, the club or the other dancers again. That was when he hit me, and everything just went red."

Levi felt a hand stroke his hair, and he looked at Erwin again, once more confused. "Oi, what was that shit all about that you led this conversation with? What does any of this have to do with you still wanting me or not?"

Now it was Erwin's turn to lower his gaze. "A part of me was anticipating you revealing to me that you and Mr. Cole were lovers, and that perhaps your altercation happened because you were trying to break things off with him. There's more, though."

"What more?" demanded Levi. He could understand how Erwin might come to the conclusion he'd just shared with him, but this procrastination was wearing on his nerves. His knee began to bounce, and he put a hand on it to still it. He really didn't like the connotations he was getting from this conversation. "What's the big fucking drama? Feels like we're on a soap opera."

Erwin smirked briefly, and then the blue of his eyes was on Levi again. His face took on a serious expression once more. "There are more connections here than any of us knew. Cole knew Darringson, and Darringson knows the kingpen in Stohess that would have gotten your dancers, if not for his bid getting sabotaged. His name is Oswald Pinchet, and he's got the most powerful syndicate north of Trost. Darringson hinted that Pinchet knows who Kenny is, and that he knows who you are, as well. What I gathered from the conversation was this: Pinchet isn't satisfied with the sum he's gotten in exchange for missing out on collecting his own personal harem of omegas. If I'm to believe Darringson's words, the attack on your club wasn't ordered by Eddie himself, but by Oswald."

"So he's pulling strings for a distance," reasoned Levi with a frown. "What was this Darringson character trying to do when he showed you those pictures, though? If he's not using it to try and blackmail you, what the fuck is his angle?"

Erwin mused over that question for a moment. "I don't think his intention is to blackmail me, and what started out sounding like veiled threats eventually—"

"Just tell me what your conclusion is, you long-winded creep."

"He was trying to warn me," finished Erwin, taking the hint.

Levi cocked his head, narrowed his eyes. "Warn you. That can be just another word for 'threaten', Erwin."

"In the right context," agreed the blond, "but the hints he dropped eventually started to reveal a hidden picture. Oswald is moving in on smaller syndicates, extending his power base. From what I've heard of him, he's got a long memory. There's still a lot that I don't know, but my people are working on gleaning every bit of information that we can. One thing is fairly certain, though: Darringson's syndicate is no longer entirely under his control, and your club has already been targeted once. As such, greater safety measures need to be put in place, and—"

"So to summarize all of this," interrupted Levi, at the end of his patience, "my uncle got his shit mixed up with some high roller. Cole was mixed up in it too. Kenny's loan shark gave the Stohess kingpen information on us, and now the big guy is using the loan shark's people to move in and get more payback for being insulted. You think the lone shark was trying to warn you, and you think he knows I'm the reason Cole disappeared—who might have been preparing to betray us. Am I missing anything?"

Erwin blinked a couple of times. "I think you've captured the gist of it."

Levi let go of some of the tension he was feeling. He felt a headache coming on, and it wasn't because it was daytime. He put his drink down, and he rubbed his temples. "I'm an idiot for even asking this, but is there anything else? Try to make it short."

"Nothing directly concerning you or the club, save that Eddie seemed convinced by the end of the meeting that my people aren't responsible for his two missing men."

"Heh, what he doesn't know won't hurt him," muttered Levi. He looked at Erwin with a sigh, noting the dark circles under his eyes and the faint pallor of his complexion. "None of this really explains that little speech you gave me when we first sat down. The bit about still meaning what you've said and still wanting me'. You made it sound like you had some shit-ass accusation to interrogate me about or something."

Erwin gave a humorless laugh, and he shook his head. He too put his drink down, and he rubbed his eyes. "I suppose I was trying to reassure you."

"Well, it sucked," informed Levi bluntly. "I thought you were pissed off at me."

Erwin laughed again, and this time there was some humor to it. He took his hand away from his eyes, and he looked at Levi with a smile that was obviously strained. "It troubled you to think I was angry with you?"

Levi compressed his lips, feeling spots of heat rise in his cheeks. He shrugged. "I could smell the anger on you, and then you came out with a line like that. What was I supposed to think?"

"I didn't intend to give you that impression," apologized the alpha. "My thoughts were on explaining all of this to you and getting answers to a couple of questions of my own."

Levi examined him quietly. Erwin was still wearing the same clothing he'd worn the day before; including the cravat he'd lent to him to cover his throat. Now his earlier attempt to "reassure him" didn't seem so ridiculous to the omega. The man was obviously running on empty fumes. "Have you had any sleep?"

"Not since the night before yesterday," admitted Erwin.

"Tch. Idiot." Levi stood up, and he nodded at the door. "Come on. You can't keep going like this. You've lost some blood and you haven't had any sleep. Time to get your ass home. I'm guessing one of your associates can drive you?"

Erwin nodded, his head lolling back on the chair he sat in. "Mike."

"Fine, then let's go and get Mike."

Levi started for the door, and he paused when he detected no movement from his companion. He looked back to find Erwin asleep in the chair. Levi went back over to it, and he knelt between the alpha's parted knees, looking up at his tilted face.

"Oi. Erwin." Levi squeezed both of the bigger man's knees, knocking them gently together.

"Wanted you to know," yawned Erwin, and then his head fell forward.

It occurred to Levi then that Erwin had just discussed in depth very secretive mafia information with him, and he'd listened attentively to every opinion and observation Levi had to give him. Either he was more scatterbrained with exhaustion than Levi thought, or he was sharing so much information with him because he truly valued his input.

_~He just confided in me, and I was too thrown off to even realize it.~_

Levi didn't know quite what to do with that revelation. This powerful alpha had just done something that no other alpha he'd ever known would even consider. He'd treated Levi as an equal. Levi thought of the words Erwin had said to him recently, about how he respected the hell out of him. He'd blown it off as romantic drivel, an attempt to charm him and win him over. The man had just shown him with his actions that it wasn't just a bullshit declaration.

Levi sighed, and he mimicked his lover, bowing his head. The dark fall of his bangs fell forward over his eyes, and he pressed his forehead against one of Erwin's knees. The conversations, the blood supply, and now this. Maybe it wasn't all just an elaborate scheme to seduce him.

"Better not be," mumbled Levi aloud, "for your sake."

* * *

"They've been gone for a really long time," observed Hange with a frowning glance at her wristwatch. "Do you think they're easing their tension with a little boom-boom? Maybe they finally both caved and went for it."

Mike glanced up from the mini fridge he was raiding for something to drink. "Now's not the time."

Hange shrugged, and she caught the beer he slid across Kenny's desk to her. "Well, how long does it _take_ to explain this?"

Mike smirked, cracking open his own beer. "Have you met Erwin? The only thing worse than his essays are your flowcharts."

"Oh, I don't think I'm as bad as Erwin," Hange protested with a chuckle.

Mike gave her a pointedly dry look, and he snorted. "Popular opinion says otherwise."

Hange waved it off. She took a sip of her beer, and she got up out of the chair she'd helped herself to. "Anyway, I think I'll go and check on them. For all we know, the little grump got fed up and left Erwin in a coma on the floor."

Remembering the number of the keycard Levi had grabbed, Hange went to the key storage and located the copy. "Be right back."

Mike nodded. "Good luck."

* * *

At first when Hange opened the door to the booth, she thought she was walking in on a compromising situation. Her jaw fell open when she caught sight of Erwin sitting in the left armchair, with his head tilted back against the back of it and his thighs partly spread. Because the chair was at an angle, she could see Levi kneeling between Erwin's thighs, his dark head resting on the right one.

"Shit, whoops," she sputtered, and she prepared to do an about-face. She then noticed that Levi's head wasn't moving, and she approached and circled around curiously. They weren't in the middle of a blow-job, as it had first appeared when she walked in. Erwin was asleep in the chair, and Levi—the unpredictable little man—was asleep on his knees with his head resting on Erwin's thigh and his arms folded under his cheek.

"Aw," whispered Hange with a grin.

It was too sweet a picture to spoil by waking them up, and her boss was obviously dead tired. She carefully extracted Erwin's coat from where it hung on the back of his chair, and she draped it over the pair of them, leaving a gap over Levi's face so that he could breathe. With that done, she left the pair where they were and she retreated from the booth. They had already outlined measures to keep the club and other investments safer from further infractions. The family could discuss when and how to push back against opposition after Erwin got some much-needed rest.

* * *

Hange ran into Petra on her way back to the office. Distracted by the sight she'd just seen, the eccentric mobster came close to running over the petite ginger omega.

"Oh! I'm sorry, love!" Hange righted Petra as the smaller woman smacked into her with a startled oath. Smiling sheepishly, the alpha looked her scantily-clad crush over to be sure she hadn't inadvertently damaged her. "You're just so small, and you came around that corner from out of nowhere. Are you all right?"

Petra shook her long bangs out of her eyes, and she nodded. "I'm okay. I was just going to check on Levi. They said he was in a private booth, but I couldn't find the spare key card."

"That's because it's on me," explained Hange. She reached into her blazer to pull out said card, and she dangled it before Petra's eyes. "Uh, don't go in there right now, sweetheart." She grabbed Petra by the arm as the omega took the card and started down the hallway.

"Why not?" Petra looked back at her curiously, and then comprehension bled into her fair features. "Oh. He's entertaining? Let me guess: he's with Mr. Smith?"

Hange chuckled. "Yes, and yes. They're having a bit of...ahem...private time together. Oh, it isn't what you think!" She added the last hastily as Petra's expressive amber gaze widened. "Don't worry. They aren't doing anything severely intimate. Erwin would never force something like that and your cute little manager obviously isn't the sort to offer it. Still, I wouldn't recommend interrupting the moment."

Petra bit her lip, and she glanced uncertainly toward the corner she'd rounded. "Levi's supposed to be on stage after Jenni finishes her set, though."

Hange thought on the matter. "Well, why don't you get one of the other dancers to cover for him? I think everyone would be better off that way."

Petra relaxed at the suggestion. "Yeah, I suppose I could put Hitch on next. May I just ask what Levi is doing with Mr. Smith? I believe you when you say they aren't being...intimate...but I looked at the time log and it seems to be running longer than usual for a private dance."

Hange very nearly blurted out that Erwin was having some cuddly nap time with the omega that had clearly stolen his heart, but she practiced uncommon good sense and refrained. Neither one of them would likely appreciate her spreading their personal business around. It was up to them to decide when and if to openly share their relationship status with other people.

"They're discussing some business. Don't let it worry you; Levi is fine. Erwin respects him, you know."

Petra smiled, and she lowered her eyes. "Most people do. I know Mr. Smith is a gentleman, too. I'm sorry if I implied anything."

"You don't need to apologize for being concerned for your friend," advised Hange gently. She reached out to stroke Petra's left shoulder, allowing herself the brief pleasure of touching that smooth, lightly freckled skin. So fair...so soft. Hange withdrew her hand reluctantly, afraid that if she kept it up, she might make further allowances for herself that she'd vowed not to do.

Petra's soft, peach-tinted lips parted, and Hange could swear she saw the girl's skin roughen with goose bumps over the contact. "Miss Zoë—"

"Hange," corrected the mafia captain softly. "Just call me Hange, Petra."

Color spread through Petra's cheeks, making them go a delightful shade of pink to match her glittery bikini combo. "Hange," she repeated, smiling in a shy manner. "I just thought that I should thank you for the other day."

Hange cocked her head inquisitively. "Hmm? I don't follow, dear."

"I mean whatever you did to stop those goons," explained Petra. "He wouldn't give any details, but Kenny said you're the one that took care of that problem for us. You protected us."

It was Hange's turn to blush, and she touched her cheeks self-consciously. Oh, if only this sweet little temptress knew how much that praise meant to her. "Ah, that." She vividly recalled just what she'd done to fix that little issue, and she silently vowed that Petra would never have to know the entire truth. She also recalled what the lead thug had said about Petra, and she scowled without realizing she was doing it. "Well, we can't have the boss' investment threatened, can we?"

Hange winced at her own excuse. That wasn't what she'd meant to say. The flash of disappointment in Petra's eyes made her want to kick herself.

"Is that really all we are to you?" persisted Petra. She reached up to touch a dangling strand of Hange's hair that had come free of her carelessly styled ponytail. "Just an investment?"

Hange froze. The gentle touch of the omega starkly reminded her that she hadn't been with one in ages. Beta women—even the ones that tended to go for other females—were usually put off by alpha biology. Hange remembered the last time she'd messed around with one and the hurtful reaction she'd had when she saw Hange in an aroused state. The girl had tried to get around it, but in the end it reminded her too much of a male penis, even after Hange had tried to explain to her that it was just an enlarged clit and perfectly natural for an alpha female.

"I care about you," babbled Hange, not completely aware of what she was saying. "I like all of the staff here, so it isn't just a financial investment. If you want to know the truth, I took it quite personally when those men threatened harm to you and the others."

Petra smiled at her then, and it was like the sun coming out from behind the clouds to brighten up a dreary day. She rose to her tiptoes, and she kissed Hange softly on the lips. The alpha swallowed and stared at her, fighting the surge of possessive lust that filled her with that simple, sweet act of affection.

"You should be careful, my dear," whispered Hange sincerely. The music from the common room drowned out her voice, but Petra read her lips and understood her words.

"Why?" Petra boldly slid her arms around Hange's neck, pressing her delicate form up against the taller woman's. She kissed the corner of the alpha female's tense mouth, making it twitch into a grin before Hange could stop it. "I really like you, Miss...um...I really like you, Hange. Am I crossing a line by saying so?"

"Yes, you are," Hange nearly whined. God, the scent of her...the feel of her lithe body pressing so intimately against hers. It was agonizing, and Hange's pants started to feel too tight. It took every ounce of will power she possessed not to make good on her claim and make Petra her omega for real.

"You're trembling," noted Petra softly, cupping the back of the alpha's head to draw it down so that she could speak into her ear. "Kenny asked me about something that has me curious. Why would you say I'm your omega, Hange? Was it just an attempt to protect me, or is that something you really want?"

Hange lost visual focus then, and she pushed Petra up against the corridor wall, grinding herself against the dancer's hip to demonstrate the condition she'd gotten her into. "Oh, you have no _idea_ how much I'd like to make that a reality, my little butterfly. If I weren't already there, I'd say you're driving me crazy with the temptation."

"What's...stopping you?" gasped Petra. She rubbed against Hange enticingly, and her omega scent grew stronger. "Maybe I wouldn't object if you made me your omega."

Hange could feel the heat coming off of Petra acutely, indicating that the girl was starting to get into a heightened state of sexual receptiveness. Unable to resist, Hange turned her head, cupped Petra's chin and kissed her hard and deep. Screw morals; she'd _earned_ this, and Petra obviously had no issues with her physiology. In fact, the dancer seemed to be more than a little turned on by it.

After several moments of plundering the omega's mouth with her tongue, Hange backed off with a small groan. She planted her hands flat against the wall on either side of Petra's head, caging the girl as she stared into her eyes. Petra's breathing was labored and rapid, and rather than fear at the sight of the reddish glow in Hange's eyes, she expressed only desire on her delicate features.

"I'm stopping me," answered Hange raggedly, and she forced a smile. "I'm what's stopping me from acting on it, because I am a very, very bad girl, my dear. You're too good for me."

With that said, Hange tore herself away and stalked off, not looking back to see Petra's reaction to her statement. Her loins ached fiercely, and she tugged her blazer down a bit to try and conceal her lady boner from anyone she might pass on her way back to the office. Her tactful retreat ended up with her slamming the office door shut behind her and leaning back against it, one hand pressed against her chest in an attempt to calm the frantic beating of her heart.

"You okay?" asked Mike, looking up at her from his seat on the couch. He sniffed the air in Hange's direction, and comprehension bled into his features. "Hange, you going into rut?"

"Mind your own business, sniffles," groused Hange in frustration. She pushed away from the door, feeling like there wasn't enough air to breathe. "Let's get out of here. I need to go home and have a really cold shower."

"What about the boss?" Mike frowned at her, and he tossed his empty beer into the waste basket by Levi's desk.

"Erwin's a big boy," reasoned Hange. "He can cab it or get a ride with one of the staff when he's ready to leave. I need to get out of here right away."

Mike shrugged, and he pulled out his cell phone to look up Erwin's contact number. "I'll shoot him a text to let him know we're going."

Hange nodded, closing her eyes. Fuck, that was a close call.

* * *

Erwin woke up when his phone went off. After finding out he'd missed Levi's earlier text, he'd turned his ringer back on. He fisted his hand over a yawn, surprised that he'd nodded off right there in the booth. As he groggily started to reach for his coat to retrieve his phone, awareness settled in and he realized the clothing article was no longer draped over the back of the chair. Instead, it was covering his lap. Looking down in puzzlement, he saw the bumps and contours from beneath the coat, and he felt the weight of Levi's head resting in his lap. Erwin lifted the top of the coat curiously, and his mouth split into a grin of delight at the sight of his omega, sound asleep in the kneeling position.

He didn't recall falling asleep, and he certainly had no memory of Levi deciding to join him in his nap. Erwin ran his fingers through the longer strands of the top of Levi's undercut, enjoying the feel of the silky black locks gliding against his skin. Levi seemed to be dead to the world, not stirring a bit at his touch. Loathe to disturb the dancer's slumber, Erwin carefully reached into the pocket of his coat to withdraw his phone. He saw the text from Mike, and he frowned. He couldn't imagine what caused his companions to leave so suddenly, unless they'd simply grown tired of waiting and needed some rest themselves. It didn't matter; he had other means of transportation.

"Mmm," sighed Levi, finally rousing despite Erwin's attempts not to jostle him awake. He lifted his head off the mafia boss' thigh, blinking up at him from beneath disheveled raven bangs. "What the hell? Did we crash like this, or what?"

"I guess so," answered the blond with a shrug. He smiled at his companion, noticing the material imprint from his pants marking Levi's pale face. He traced it gently, admiring the omega. "You must have come to trust me more than I thought, Levi. That's a comforting notion."

Levi flushed and looked away, and he got to his feet with a grunt. "I'm not yours yet, Smith. Don't get ahead of yourself."

Erwin begged to differ, but for the sake of maintaining peace with the omega he was so determined to claim as his own, he didn't argue with him. He got up from the chair, and he slipped his coat on. "Well, I find myself in need of a ride home. Would you mind dropping me off?"

Levi checked his watch. "Shit, I was supposed to be on stage ten minutes ago. I can't just take off out of the blue."

"Don't worry about it," insisted Erwin. "I'm sure your coworkers can handle things without you for a while. You wouldn't leave me stranded, would you Levi?"

The dancer's gray eyes met Erwin's, and a flash of uncertainty crossed his sculpted features. "Can't you just call a cab?"

"I could, but why bother when I could just get a ride from you?" reasoned Erwin.

Levi sighed. "You really aren't going to let this go, are you?"

Erwin smiled at him gently. "I can't remember the last time I rode on a motorcycle."

The dancer rolled his eyes, but then he followed up with a tiny smirk that spoiled his expressed irritation. "Fine, you big kid. You're taking the bitch seat, though. Nobody drives my bike except me."

"I can live with that."

* * *

Levi didn't intend to stick around after dropping Erwin off, but the mafia boss convinced him to come up for a little while. How the man always managed to persuade him to do things against his better judgment was still a mystery Levi was trying to solve. A few moments turned into several, and then Erwin pulled him close and started kissing him. The next thing Levi knew, the fire of lust burned bright and hot. He returned Erwin's kisses, slipping his arms around the taller man. He was lifted up against that tall, powerful frame, and then Erwin was carrying him out of the living room and down the hallway to his bedroom.

"Hey, wait," protested Levi breathlessly, breaking the kiss. "I've still got a shift to finish up. I can't be away all day long. Kenny gives me enough shit as it is."

"I'll handle him," insisted Erwin huskily. He pushed the bedroom door open with a foot, continuing his trajectory to the bed.

"Oof," grunted Levi as he got dropped onto the bed. He propped himself up on his elbows and he stared up at the blond accusingly. Erwin had already shrugged out of his coat and was unbuttoning his shirt. "Ever hear of a thing called consent, creep? Maybe I'm not in the mood for...for..."

The words trailed off as Erwin's shirt came open, exposing the broad expanse of lightly tanned chest and the fine dusting of golden hair across it. Levi swallowed, his groin throbbing. He wasn't going to get out of this encounter if he didn't get his ass up and move now. He started to do just that, but then Erwin descended on top of him, capturing his mouth with his own again. The kiss was intense, sensual and quite territorial. It made Levi fight back a whimper. Erwin's hard thigh wedged between the dancers, rubbing against the bulge that was now straining against the material of his pants. A big hand tugged at Levi's shirt, yanking it open carelessly. Erwin's mouth released Levi's and traveled down his throat to his chest, licking and sucking at the skin.

"Damn it," breathed Levi, fingers curling into his companion's hair. He started to tug at it to try and pull Erwin away from his goal, but then those talented lips sealed around his right nipple and sucked on it. The omega's toes curled in his boots, and his back arched wantonly. A shiver of pleasure raced through him, and he hardened further in his pants. "Er...win..."

He was lost. It felt so good, and Levi moaned as his alpha fondled the other nipple with his fingertips, adding to his pleasure. Undulating impulsively beneath the pinning weight, Levi panted softly, and a flush crept into his cheeks. His body heat began to rise, and he wondered with a jolt of fright if he might have a heat coming on. He hadn't brought any emergency suppressant shots with him. If they did it while he was in heat, Erwin might go into a rut and the bond that Levi was trying so hard to avoid would be sealed.

A part of him knew deep down that it was going to happen sooner or later, regardless of his concerns. He thought of Erwin as his now, and Levi knew that no other alpha male could ever take the charming bastard's place. Levi pushed weakly at the bigger man's broad shoulders, trying to fight it even though every cell in his body cried out for it to be finalized.

"Smith," groaned Levi, "we shouldn't...not now..."

 _Shouldn't_? He'd meant to say _"can't"_ , but like the rest of his body, his mouth refused to obey his mind's commands. He wanted this. He wanted it so badly he could taste it like the rich, coppery flavor of Erwin's blood on his tongue. It was harder than ever to keep denying that fact with this blond sex god pinning him down and pleasuring him like this.

"Why not?" Erwin paused in his suckling to look the omega in the eyes. "I promise you, I'll deal with Kenny. You have nothing to worry about, Levi."

Having said that, Erwin fumbled with Levi's pants to get them tugged open and pulled off of him. He was fast, his touch deft and practiced. Levi couldn't say he'd ever been with someone that managed to get his clothes off so quickly and efficiently, tear-away or otherwise. It took perhaps ten seconds for Erwin to yank the pants away and toss them aside, and then Levi's thong swiftly joined the pile growing on the floor by the bed. Now wearing nothing except his cross pendant and his boots, Levi stared up at the man looming over him. His protests died on his lips as his natural urges took over, the tingling warning of impending heat spiking to unbearable levels.

It was strong; stronger than it had been the last time. Perhaps it was because it had been a few months since his last heat. Levi never had them regularly like some omegas, which made it difficult to plan for them ahead of time. It was why he always kept the suppressant shots available—not just for himself, but for other dancers that might need them in the event of an unexpected heat.

Erwin's nostrils flared as he detected the rising scent of enhanced pheromones emitting from the dancer. A calculating glimmer lit up those intense blue eyes, and he immediately started to undo his pants.

"Levi," he sighed, kissing the spot on the omega's throat where he'd marked him with his bite. His fingers located the smaller man's entrance, rubbing the slick dribbling from it over the clenching ring of muscle.

Levi bit his lip, breaking into a sweat. He squirmed in reaction to the touch, his body crying out for more. His mouth blurted a pleasured expletive as one of Erwin's fingers breached him, and his thighs spread further apart invitingly. Common sense fled rapidly as his companion stroked him inside, sending one shockwave of bliss through him after another. It wasn't enough. Levi's canines elongated into sharp fangs, and he accidentally punctured his lower lip, biting down on it to try and contain his cries.

"Don't do that," ordered Erwin. He kissed the abused lip, sucking gently on it. Reaching out blindly for the bedside table, Erwin opened up the drawer to rummage through it for something. "I'll use protection, love. Don't worry."

"Won't make...a difference...if you go into rut," Levi pointed out unevenly. He could barely concentrate enough to speak, and despite his anxiety, he couldn't form the words for another protest. It was too late. He was going into a full-blown heat, and he needed Erwin's cock like a starving man needed food.

"If that happens," Erwin murmured, "I swear to you that I'll be a good mate to you. You just need to trust me, Levi. I rarely fail at something when I set my mind to it."

Levi didn't doubt that for a moment. The man had already proven that he was too stubborn to give up on any goal he pursued. The loss of what little freedom he had was still a concept that terrified the omega, though. "Please," he whimpered, and he wasn't even sure whether he was begging the man to stop or keep going.

Erwin procured a pack of alpha condoms from the drawer, and he kissed Levi tenderly as he tore away one of the packages and opened it up to get the rubber out. "I'm going to see to it that you're well satisfied."

* * *

It started out with Erwin on top, but as Levi's heat cycle began to spike, he flipped the alpha onto his back and rode him cross-eyed. Just as he'd hoped, Erwin started going into a rut after coming for the second time. As his mating urges took over and intensified, he took the reins back from his lover, got Levi on his hands and knees and pounded away at him. His diligence paid off. As soon as he knotted inside of Levi for the first time of the encounter, Erwin felt the pair-bond happen. It wasn't what he'd expected. He'd been prepared for it to happen subtly and gradually, but instead, it hit him like a bolt of lightning. He felt Levi's emotions blending in with his own, and he knew the dancer must have felt the same thing. Levi screamed his name as their bond was sealed, making them mated for life. Erwin could feel the vampire surrender to it, his resistance bleeding out of him as the soul connection completed.

After that, everything became a blur. Coherent thought was impossible for either of them. There was only the frantic need to keep fucking, and of course, the fresh condom Erwin had put on to replace the ones he'd filled earlier broke. Neither men noticed it. Rolling around on the bed and writhing against each other, their lovemaking might have looked more like a wrestling match to anyone that saw it. Erwin now knew that Levi's struggles were actually prompts for him. Independent-minded though he was, the omega got a thrill out of being held down and overpowered. Levi came harder when Erwin asserted dominance over him, and the alpha reveled in his discovery that he could let himself go and exercise his alpha needs without scaring his new mate away. Both of their cell phones rang several times while they were in their mating frenzy, but neither of them could even consider stopping to answer their calls.

The sun was coming up by the time they finally satisfied their thirst for each other, and Levi collapsed on top of Erwin after coming one final time. Breathing raggedly against the alpha's sweaty chest, Levi remained straddling Erwin, still impaled on his softening length. As Erwin stroked the smaller man's dark, damp hair soothingly, Levi spoke hoarsely to him.

"You are," gasped the omega, "the most ruthless son of a bitch I've ever met."

Erwin smiled, nuzzling the crown of his new mate's head. "I regret nothing. I can only hope you don't cling to your resentment indefinitely."

Levi lifted his head off the blond's chest, and he studied him with opaque gray eyes. The glow was fading from them, and were it not for their fresh spiritual bond, Erwin doubted he could have guessed what he was thinking. As it was, he could sense the omega's uncertainty, along with the taint of fear. Erwin sighed, and he traced the scratches he'd left on Levi's smooth back in his passion for him.

"I know you're concerned that I'll take advantage of my alpha influence on you and subjugate you, Levi. I know that you were reluctant for this to happen, but I swear to you that my respect for you hasn't diminished. I'm sure you can sense my sincerity in that through our new link, if you have trouble believing my words."

Levi dropped his gaze. He sat up, breath catching a little as the motion pressed Erwin's shaft deeper inside of him. He stroked his fingertips thoughtfully over the bite he'd left on Erwin's right pectoral, and when he spoke again, his voice sounded introspective and oddly vulnerable.

"The condom broke. You never put a replacement on after it happened, either."

"I know." Erwin put his hands on the omega's hips, helpless to change that. "I realized it in the back of my mind when it happened, but I was consumed with need for you. I just couldn't bring myself to stop."

Levi met his gaze again. "So what if the same thing that happened to Mina happens to me?"

"We'll worry about that if and when it occurs," answered the blond calmly. "It's highly unlikely, Levi. Mina's situation was a rare case."

"And if by some fluke I'm a rare case as well?" persisted Levi. He eased gingerly off of Erwin, letting him slip out of his body. Levi stretched out beside the bigger man, propping himself up on one elbow on his side. "Are you gonna raise a stink and try to stop me if I decide I don't want to keep it?"

"I..." Erwin fell silent. He hadn't even considered that possibility. He wasn't terribly worried that nature would defy science, but Levi did raise a good point. If it could happen to one omega, it was possible—however unlikely—that it could also happen to another. He never really thought of how he would feel if he got Levi pregnant, because he didn't think it could happen without medical intervention. Having a family was never in his life plans before, but now he found himself imagining what it would be like. Would a child of theirs have Levi's flashing gray eyes and black hair? Would it perhaps take more after Erwin, or inherit a combination of features from them both? Could he really stand by and let his mate put an end to it, if the nearly impossible happened and they conceived?

"See?" Levi badgered, his voice edged with frustration. "You can't answer the question. You'd want me to keep it, right?"

"I don't know," confessed Erwin helplessly. He looked up at the omega with a frown. "Honestly Levi, I've never been able to see myself having kids with anyone before. Not even the woman I came close to marrying. Before now, the idea of being a parent was almost ludicrous to me."

"But now you're picturing it?" Levi didn't sound very happy about that, and the little frown gracing his lips confirmed it, even if Erwin couldn't sense his displeasure through the link. "I told you how I feel about that shit, blondie. You know why I chose to get the procedure done. I've got better reasons than most to avoid squirting out any brats."

"I understand that," assured the alpha. "I want to tell you that I would respect your decision if it ever came to having to make such a decision, but I feel I would be lying to you if I did. I can't tell you how I would feel about it or what I would do, because it's not something I've ever been through before. We can say we would react certain ways to certain things, but people often do the opposite of what they expect of themselves when actually faced with certain situations."

Erwin sighed, and he stroked his pointer finger over Levi's cute little nose. "I've also never been so enamored with someone as I am with you. The fact that I can even imagine the two of us having a child together is ultimate proof to that."

Levi's gaze softened on him, his expression of irritation faltering. "You really are a big sap, you know that?"

Erwin chuckled. "Perhaps, but now I'm _your_ sap. Not many would blame me for my passion, thank you."

Levi rolled onto his stomach, and he dropped his face into his pillow. His voice was muffled as he responded to Erwin's romantic words. "Knock it off before I smother you with this pillow to shut you up."

A deep, rumbling laugh escaped Erwin, and he reached out to pat Levi's exposed, pert little ass. He offered no further amorous speeches, guessing that Levi's face must be bright pink by now.

* * *

Eren rolled his eyes heavenwards and thanked God when he jerked awake to his phone ringing and saw Levi's name on the caller ID. He answered it quickly, anxious to be assured that his mentor was all right.

"Levi, where the hell have you been?" demanded the green-eyed omega, sitting up in his bed. "People have been trying to call you since you took off yesterday! We've all been worried out of our minds!"

"Calm down," replied the older dancer. "I'm at Smith's place. He needed a lift home yesterday, so I took him. Damn near lost control of the bike going around one corner too, 'cause the big idiot doesn't know how to lean properly."

"And you've been there this whole time?" Eren's eyes widened. He could guess what Levi had been up to, for him not to pick up for anyone or check in. He was usually so responsible about letting someone know if he wasn't going to make it to work...usually Petra. "Uh, Levi, I'm afraid to ask, but um...have you been...you know..."

"Fucking Erwin's brains out?" supplied Levi with a snort. "Yeah. One thing led to another. It was a busy night for me."

"Oh." Eren wasn't sure whether to congratulate the man for getting laid or express condolences that Erwin got his way. Levi had seemed so adamant about not letting that happen. "Are you sure you're okay? Did...did you end up bonding with him?"

Levi's quiet sigh told Eren everything he needed to know, and the young man put his face in his palm. "Shit, you did, didn't you?"

"It just happened," answered Levi. "I tried to fight it, but you know what heats are like, kid. This one hit me hard and fast, like the last one you had."

Eren groaned in sympathy. He remembered his last heat all too well, and at the time, he had no lover to give him some relief from it. He'd lain curled up on his bed, drenched in sweat and burning up. Historia, bless her heart, had come to his place looking for him when he never showed up for work or answered his phone, and she'd stayed with him and cooled him down with cold water and a sponge until his condition finally eased up.

"He didn't even try to back off and let you take care of it some other way?" pressed Eren, his expression darkening. Consent was sometimes questionable when an omega had a strong heat, and not even someone like Levi was likely to be able to fight off an alpha's attentions when his strength was sapped by the overpowering need.

"He didn't force me," Levi assured him. "You don't have to worry about that. I never really said 'no' to him, even if I wasn't totally on board with it at first."

"But you didn't really say 'yes' either," guessed Eren with a growl. "I am going to kick his ass!"

"No, you aren't," countered Levi firmly. "It's done, Eren. I'll handle it, like I always handle curve balls thrown at me. I'll be fine. The only reason I even told you about it is because I knew you'd keep fucking pestering me for details if I tried to keep it vague. Don't go spreading this around, brat. I need a few days to get used to it and think about how to explain it to people. Until then, I want it kept between us, got it?"

"Got it," sighed Eren unhappily. Poor Levi. "So are you guys going to get married?"

The older dancer went silent. Eren pulled his phone away from his ear to check the connection, thinking the call must have dropped. "Levi? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm still here. Shit, I don't know. Yesterday I was still single, more or less. Now I'm mated for life to this creep. Marriage hasn't even crossed my mind."

"I'm sorry." Eren winced. "I know that's a big step to take so soon. I just want a happy ending for you, and most alphas marry the omegas they pair-bond with."

"It's just a ceremony, Eren. Exchanging a couple of rings and saying some vows in front of people won't make this any easier for me. Right now, I just want to figure out how to cope with this change in my life."

"I understand," said Eren. "Have you called Kenny yet? He's been fuming, but I think he's actually kind of worried about you, too. He might be a dick, but he's still your relative."

"Erwin already spoke with him," answered Levi. "As far as Kenny's concerned, I slept on the couch here because I was ready to pass out from lack of sleep when I got Smith home yesterday. That's the story I'm sticking with, and you'd better do the same."

"Okay, I'll remember that," promised Eren. "Have you eaten lately?"

"Erwin took care of that the other day," explained Levi. "In fact, you shouldn't have to feed me from now on. You're off the hook."

Eren's jaw dropped. "You mean he _knows_? When did this happen?"

"The night those assholes came to the club and stirred up trouble. I was with Erwin while that was going on. It was an accident that he found out, but when he did, he took it like a champ instead of running away screaming like a mental patient."

It was obvious that Levi was referring to Eren's first reaction when he found out the secret. "Hey, that was a scary moment. Most people would have reacted the same way as I did!"

"Good thing Smith's not 'most people'," grunted Levi. "I've got to let you go, Eren. I need a shower and some sleep. I'll be in for my shift tonight, so don't worry about changing any plans you've made to cover for me."

"All right." Eren smiled. Tonight he would be meeting up with Mikasa for dinner. Remembering the movie night they had planned, Eren quickly spoke up before Levi could hang up on him. "Oh yeah, I nearly forgot to ask you. Could I have Friday night off? My girlfriend and our friend want me to have a movie night with them."

"What girlfriend?"

Eren grimaced. He'd forgotten to tell Levi about his new relationship status. "Mikasa. We uh, hooked up recently. Now we're going steady."

"Shit, you move fast, kid," said Levi dryly. "I didn't even know you two spoke much."

Levi's voice suddenly changed, taking on a serious note. "You know about her, right?"

Eren frowned. "Know what? That she's in the mafia? I knew that from the start."

"No," sighed Levi. "Think, Eren. What did I tell you about my family bloodline?"

"That everyone with the same roots as you are...are...vampires..." Eren's eyes went round in his face. "No way. She can't be!"

"Yes she can," Levi corrected, "and she is. Trust me on this, Jaeger."

"Y-you're positive about this?" Eren swallowed. "Maybe she's not from the same Ackerman family as you and Kenny. Maybe it's just a coincidence."

"We can sense our own kind," informed the older omega. "I knew it the minute I saw her, and she knew the same about me. I'm not saying you shouldn't be with her, but I think you should know what she is before things get too serious between you two. Obviously she's got some self-control if you've already fucked and she never tried to bite you. I just don't want you losing your shit and running into traffic when and if she comes out of the closet with you."

"Holy shit," muttered Eren. "I'm dating a vampire. I never even thought of it when I found out her last name! God, I am so _stupid_!"

Levi sighed. "And the shit's been lost. I guess it's better for you to freak out at home than in front of your girl."

Eren closed his eyes. How could he have completely overlooked the possibility that if Mikasa shared the same surname as Levi, she probably shared the same condition? "What should I do? Should I talk to her about it? Pretend like I don't know and wait for her to tell me when she's ready? I'm so confused, Levi."

"I dunno. I'd suggest you play it by ear, for now." There was a shrug in the older man's voice. "Your relationship is still new. Give it some time and show her she can trust you. She'll probably tell you on her own eventually, if she thinks you can handle it."

Eren nodded convulsively, making a mental note of Levi's advice. He still felt like a moron for not seeing it before. There were certain similarities between Mikasa, Levi and Kenny that should have told Eren she was related to them, even if distantly. She had the same shiny black hair color as Levi, the same mysterious, calm gaze, the same creamy white skin tone. Maybe Eren had just been in denial, subconsciously unwilling to accept the possibility that his girlfriend might be a vampire.

"Let me ask you something," Levi said when the younger omega went silent in thought, "does this news make you want her any less?"

Eren considered the question, and he sighed. "No. I still want to be with her. I'm kind of used to vampires by now anyway."

"At least you know what it's like to be fed on," reasoned Levi. "Just take some time to get used to the idea before you decide how to handle this. Don't do anything rash."

Eren smiled a little. "You mean like getting into a mating bond?"

"Do I have to come over there and kick your ass?" threatened Levi.

Eren chuckled. "No sir. I just had to pick on you a little."

"You've got balls, Jaeger."

Eren shrugged. "Sometimes, I guess. Get some sleep, Levi. I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"See you then," agreed Levi, and then he hung up.

Eren sat there staring stupidly off into space for a while after ending the conversation with Levi. "A vampire," he whispered, rubbing his eyes. "I'm dating a vampire."

Saying it out loud that way made it somehow easier for him to accept. By now, it was nothing new to him. He knew what abilities the Ackerman bloodline had, and thanks to Levi, he knew how to take care of her if Mikasa ever came down sick. What he _didn't_ know was where his girlfriend had been getting her blood supply from. Did she feed on random people? Did she have a steady donor, the way Eren had been for Levi until now?

"Oh shit," whispered Eren, blinking. Maybe Mikasa fed on _Armin_. Maybe the blond already knew about her, and that could be why Eren thought he detected some ambiguity from Armin when he found out that him and Mikasa were dating. Even if Armin and Mikasa were just good friends, they could have established a bond with each other. Eren himself felt that bond with Levi, and it was hard to try and explain. It wasn't romantic or sexual, but there was a certain kind of trust and affection between the two of them that Eren couldn't really compare with ordinary friendship.

Maybe, just maybe, Armin should be the one Eren should consider talking to.

* * *

-To be continued


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all the lovely people that have left comments and encouragement! I'm in the chaos of finalizing packing and planning for the trip I'm going on, so I haven't had much time to personally reply to comments. I'm going to try to get one more chapter uploaded to this story before I leave tomorrow.

Eren was watching him with a considerably intense stare. Armin was very aware of it as he prepared the evening's reading material, and he wondered if he'd done something to annoy his friend. It was the night before their planned movie gathering, and though it was later than usual and he was tired, Armin couldn't bring himself to cancel the scheduled tutoring session.

"How was your dinner date with Mikasa?" asked the blond conversationally, attempting to ease the heavy silence between them. "You tried that restaurant I suggested, didn't you?"

"Yeah," said Eren with a nod. "It was really good, just like you said. Pricey, but good."

Armin smiled. "I'm glad. I was a bit worried it might not be to your taste. Mikasa enjoyed it, too?"

Eren propped his chin in one hand. "She seemed to. I think it might have lacked a little something she'd normally like, though."

"Oh?" Armin looked up from the stack of paper, pausing in flipping through it. "Like what? I thought she liked Japanese food."

Eren tilted his head. "She liked it. I just get the feeling she would have liked something to drink besides sake."

"Well, did you ask her?" Armin selected a journalism article from the pile, and he slid it across the table to his companion. "You shouldn't be so shy about these things, Eren. I'm sure Mikasa would appreciate it if you asked her what sort of cocktail she'd like."

Eren heaved a sigh. "I don't think a standard cocktail would do it for her, if you get my meaning."

Armin's brows forked over confused, blue eyes. "No, I really don't. Mikasa's tastes aren't that expensive, Eren. You don't have to buy her a bottle of one-hundred dollar champagne to satisfy her pallet."

"I'm not talking about champagne," corrected Eren. He was starting to sound a little frustrated, which confused Armin even more. "Come on, you know what I mean!"

Armin shook his head slowly. "Eren, I don't understand. Why are you getting so annoyed? Did she complain about the drinks or something?"

"No," sighed Eren. "She didn't complain about any of it. That doesn't mean she wouldn't have liked something else to go with the meal. You know...something a little salty? Something red?"

"Like a Bloody Mary?" Armin suggested. "I'm sure they would have brought you one if you'd asked for it, Eren. That place doesn't just serve traditional Japanese beverages."

Eren groaned, and he dropped his head to the table. Armin winced at the resulting thunk, thinking that surely must have hurt Eren's forehead. He reached out to squeeze his friend's shoulder, now utterly bewildered by the odd direction the conversation had gone. "Eren, are you feeling all right? Do we need to put off tonight's lessons so you can get some rest? You seem really agitated."

"I'm fine," Eren said, lifting his head again and rubbing his forehead. "Yes, something like a Bloody Mary. The key word is 'blood'."

Armin thought hard on it, still wondering what Eren was trying to say. "I can't think of any other cocktails with the word 'blood' in it, Eren. What exactly are you trying to say? I'm sorry, but I'm a bit tired myself, and I don't understand what you're hinting at."

"Mikasa's a vampire," Eren finally blurted, spreading his hands. "I know, Armin! I figured it out. You don't have to act like you don't know. You're her donor, aren't you?"

Armin's eyes widened, and he stared at his friend as if Eren had just told him he was actually a pink unicorn in disguise. "W-what?"

Eren calmed down, and he stared back at Armin. Comprehension leaked into his handsome features, and his lips parted soundlessly. After a moment, he spoke again. "So...you really _don't_ know."

Armin forced his jolted mind into a more rational state. He stared into the dancer's eyes, looking for signs that Eren was on some kind of narcotic. "Eren," he said carefully, "are you joking around with me? Tell me you're only kidding. Otherwise, I'm going to be very concerned for your mental well-being."

A slow flush spread over Eren's face, and his emerald gaze flicked around as if searching for an escape route. "Um, okay. This isn't how I expected this conversation to go."

"You tell me that Mikasa's some kind of mythical occult creature, and you're expecting me to take it seriously?" Armin scoffed. "I don't know if someone slipped something into your drink tonight at work, or if you're just so over-stressed that you've lost your rationale. I think maybe I should consider taking you to the hospital to get checked out."

Eren groaned, covering his face with his hands. "I was so sure," he muttered. He peeked at Armin through his fingers. "I'm okay, Armin. It was just a joke. I guess it's not as funny as I thought it would be."

Armin raised a brow. "Well, it's certainly the strangest joke I've ever heard. Are you _sure_ you're feeling all right?"

Eren dropped his hands from his face, still blushing deeply. "Yeah. Just a little embarrassed at my joke fail. You must think I'm such a loser."

Armin smiled, and he reached out to pat Eren's nearest hand comfortingly. "Don't think like that. It was a strange idea of a joke, yes, but I don't think you're a loser at all. You're one of the nicest guys I know, as well as the most determined. I wish even a fraction of my students had your drive to succeed, Eren."

Eren looked down at the hand covering his. Armin started to withdraw it, realizing he was taking a liberty that he probably should avoid, now that the omega was taken by his dearest friend. Eren's hand turned over then, his long, tanned fingers threading through Armin's. He squeezed the blond's hand in his, and he met his eyes.

"You're one of the nicest guys I've ever met too," whispered Eren.

Armin's heart skipped a beat. He stared at the dancer's lips, and he envied Mikasa's right to kiss them. Eren had a really, really nicely-shaped mouth. His lips were sensitive and soft looking, plush but not too full, masculine yet gently curved. Armin swallowed to get some moisture back into his suddenly dry mouth. He had no business looking at Eren this way...no business fantasizing over what it would be like to act on his feelings and do more than give Eren a friendly pat or hold his hand.

"I'm thirsty," Armin said, finally locating his speech center again. Those eyes of Eren's were absolutely glorious; so expressive and unique in color pattern. "Would you like something to drink while I'm up, Eren?"

The brilliant green-gold eyes lowered, and Eren gently retracted his hand. "Yeah. My mouth is pretty dry all the sudden. Do you have any juice?"

"I have white grape juice," offered the blond. He got up, willing his knees not to knock together. His legs felt rubbery, and he feared they might not support him. He was only imagining things. He and Eren hadn't just had a moment together, and the dancer was both out of his league and quite taken.

"That would be great," enthused Eren a little too vigorously. He seemed nervous again, and Armin cursed himself for staring at him so openly in such a smitten manner. He could only pray Eren hadn't noticed his heart in his eyes.

* * *

He didn't know what to do. Friday had come around, and Eren got picked up for movie night by Armin. Mikasa arrived at the teacher's duplex about a half hour after the two males got there, and they all settled down on the couch with pizza and beer to watch the film they'd picked out. Eren's mind kept going back to the other day when he'd stupidly confronted the blond, so self-assured he was right that he hadn't even stopped to think of how it would look if he was completely wrong. Armin hadn't said anything more about it, but Eren couldn't stop picturing the look of mixed concern and disbelief on his friend's face when he'd blurted out that Mikasa was a vampire.

"I'm such an idiot," muttered Eren, seated between his girlfriend and Armin. Levi was totally right about that. Eren could imagine the senior dancer shaking his head and rolling his eyes over him acting like such a boob the other day.

Both of them looked at him, taking their attention off the zombie film they were watching together.

"What was that?" Mikasa asked him, pausing with her drink halfway to her lips.

Realizing that he'd just spoken his self-admonishment aloud, Eren cleared his throat. "Uh, nothing. I just realized I think I might have left my bathroom light on at home."

Armin swallowed his bite of pizza, and he smiled at him. "Don't worry, Eren. It's only one light. I'm sure it won't run your electricity bill up much."

Mikasa rubbed the dancer's knee, and she nodded in agreement with Armin's observation. "You seem so tense tonight, Eren. We're supposed to be winding down and having fun. Forget about the light and enjoy the movie."

Eren nodded, and he tried to take their advice. He made a face when some poor bastard on the screen got his face eaten off. Beside him, Armin jumped and grabbed his arm. Eren nearly laughed at the beta male's expressed anxiety. Though the film was meant to be comedic horror, Armin clearly wasn't a fan of gore.

"It's just a movie," whispered Eren into the blond's ear as a reminder. "Just remember the gross parts are just special effects and makeup."

"Right," said Armin in a small voice. "Just special effects. Mikasa, how did I let you talk me into this one?"

She shrugged, smirking sidelong at him. "You said you wanted to see something funny as our first movie of the night. This is comedy."

"True, but it's really _dark_ comedy," mumbled Armin. He squeezed Eren's arm again in an endearing way when a woman's alarmed scream ripped through the speakers. "Oh no, she's about to get it, too!"

Armin then hid his face against Eren's shoulder, refusing to look as the woman in the film ran for her life from the crowd of zombies that had devoured her boyfriend. The gesture was both endearing and extremely distracting, to Eren. As if that weren't bad enough, Mikasa was slowly rubbing his thigh. Eren found himself imagining kissing both of them, one at a time. That fantasy quickly unfurled to broader size, and he pictured himself making out with both of them.

_~This is so wrong. I'm with Mikasa, and Armin's her friend. He's probably not even into other guys. Stop it, Eren. Stop thinking dirty thoughts before you end up with a huge boner.~_

That would be just what he needed; to spring a hard-on while watching a zombie flick. What an impression that would make. He'd barely managed to convince Armin he was just kidding around about Mikasa being a vampire. If he started getting turned on right now, the guy might think he had some kind of occult fetish.

Eren looked at his girlfriend, who had returned her attention to the movie. Mikasa's hand kept steadily stroking his thigh. Armin was still pressed up against him on the other side, demonstrating his gentle nature with his aversion to the gore on the television. It made Eren feel protective of him, and he barely resisted the urge to put a comforting arm around his friend. Instead, he reciprocated Mikasa's touch, rubbing her leg in return. His guilt ate at him terribly. He felt like he was mentally cheating on her and disrespecting Armin at the same time. He told himself to stifle his inappropriate thoughts as the movie continued, but Eren's mind wouldn't stop wandering and he quickly lost track of the film's plot.

Somehow he made it through the movie without getting an erection, and he felt relieved when Armin got up to put in the next movie. This one had been the blond's pick, and it was a drama about some guy getting stranded on an island and trying to survive. Unfortunately as the story unfolded, it turned out to be exceptionally boring; so boring, in fact, that both Mikasa and Armin nodded off. The only thing that kept Eren awake was the keen frustration he felt when his girlfriend laid her cheek on one of his shoulders, while his friend did the same on the other.

Now Eren was literally trapped on the couch, with both persons of his fancy sleeping soundly and trustingly against him. He looked at the crown of Armin's head, and then at the darker crown of Mikasa's. Afraid to move, he sat there like that in a quandary. The warmth and affection he felt for both parties was only outdone by his desire for them. Despite his best efforts, Eren's pants started bulging at the crotch. He bit his lip and stared blankly at the screen, wishing he could put the zombie film back on just so he'd have something gross to watch to take his mind away from erotic thoughts.

Armin squirmed, tilted his head back and mumbled something against the side of Eren's neck. The omega shivered at the feel of his friend's lips softly grazing his skin, his breath a warm, moist flutter. Mikasa kissed the other side of his throat in her sleep, and her arm stole around Eren's waist. He tensed instinctively when he felt something sharp and pointed press against his neck.

"Oh no," whispered Eren, gulping. "M-Mikasa? You awake?"

She didn't answer. Her hand slid up to cup the side of his face, and Eren gasped at the sudden sting in his neck. She was biting him. She wasn't even awake to realize it, and he didn't know what to do. He froze, recalling past instructions from Levi never to flinch away while being fed on to avoid the risk of tearing. The sting faded, and then Mikasa started to suck gently. Eren's breath caught, and his eyes grew heavy-lidded at the sensation.

He should try to wake her up. He should put a stop to this. In her unconscious state, Mikasa might drink too deeply and put him in the hospital. It felt good, though. It was even more erotic than the times he'd let Levi feed on him, because now it was his lover rather than his friend doing it. Eren shifted a little in his seat, and his arousal intensified.

"Mikasa," whispered the omega, trying to rouse her without waking Armin. He squeezed her knee and shook it gently. "Wake up, beautiful. You're uh...sleep-biting."

It sounded ridiculous to his own ears, but he could think of no other term for it. She must be hungry to be doing this now, right in front of Armin. She'd never bitten Eren before, and he knew that sometimes the thirst for blood could overpower a vampire's sense of reason. The sensation of being suckled was quickly overpowering his own common sense, and he fought against a swoon.

"Mika," hissed Eren, trying again.

Armin stirred as the urgent call roused him from his slumber. He yawned against the other side of Eren's neck, and he lifted his head to look at him. The sleepy confusion on his face melted when the blond took in the sight of Eren having his neck sucked on by his girlfriend.

"Oh," whispered Armin, evidently not catching on to what was really happening. "Er, if you two want some privacy, I could step out for a little while."

"It's not what it looks like," Eren said. His words were slurred, and he started to hear ringing in his ears. He was going to black out. "Armin, help me wake her up. She doesn't know what she's doing and...and I think...I'm going to..."

* * *

Armin realized that the color was draining from Eren's face, and he sat up straighter with alarm. He glanced at Mikasa, who was busily sucking on the dancer's neck and stroking the side of his face. Something felt very off about this. It wasn't like Mikasa to be such an exhibitionist with her affections. She'd never made out with boyfriends in front of others before, and the hungry little noises she was making caused the hair on the back of Armin's neck to rise. Eren's eyes had lost focus, and his head began to loll.

Though he didn't understand just what was happening, Armin's concern for the omega prompted him to reach across and nudge Mikasa urgently.

"Mikasa, wake up! Something's wrong with Eren!"

His alarmed cry was much louder than Eren's earlier weak attempts to rouse the young woman. Mikasa's eyes snapped open wide, and she pulled away from her boyfriend's throat. Her mouth was open and bloody. Her irises were glowing, the dark, blue-gray color of them unusually pale. Armin then noticed her elongated fangs, stained red with Eren's blood.

The blond's mouth twisted as he stared with horror, and Eren's strange eruption from the other day replayed deafeningly in his mind.

_"Mikasa's a vampire!"_

It took perhaps four steady heartbeats for Armin to react at all beyond ogling his friend. The impossible, insane reality of what he was seeing sank in, and with that awareness came an awful kind of horror. He didn't think about it. He didn't censor himself. He just reacted in the only way his shocked brain would allow him to.

Armin Arlert opened his mouth wide, and he screamed at the top of his lungs.

* * *

The sound of her friend's terrified, piercing scream snapped Mikasa out of her feeding daze. Reality set in, and she glanced at her boyfriend with remorseful horror. She'd fed on Eren, and by the looks of it, he was passing out. She had no idea how much she'd drank. She'd thought the pig's blood she'd consumed before coming over tonight would be enough to stave off the blood thirst until she could get her hands on some human blood again, but evidently, she'd been wrong. Armin sounded like he was being neutered or murdered. His continued screams cut through the air like a knife, and Mikasa imagined a neighbor might soon call the police to report the noise if it continued.

"Armin," called Mikasa, clamping one hand desperately over the wounds she'd caused in Eren's throat. "Please, stop screaming! I can explain this."

The blood-curdling yowls continued, and Mikasa was helpless to do anything about it beyond shout back at Armin and try to get through to him. She couldn't take the pressure off of Eren's neck, and she had a terrible feeling they were going to need an ambulance. She tried again, calling out to her friend as Armin jumped up off the couch and pointed at her, still screaming. Mikasa licked her lips clean, and she tried a different tactic.

"Eren needs help! Please, calm down and help me stop the bleeding!"

Armin's screams finally stopped. His eyes were like two cerulean saucers in his now ghostly pale face, and his expression could have been used on a poster for a movie entitled "Fear". His eyes rolled back, and the blond collapsed soundlessly to the floor. Mikasa watched him drop like a stone, unable to reach out and catch him without taking her hand off of Eren's neck.

"Damn it," she sighed. Now both men were unconscious, and she could only pray that Armin hadn't hit his head when he went down.

* * *

Levi wasn't expecting to get a phone call from Mikasa. He'd just finished a performance on the stage when he went into the dressing room, checked his phone and found two missed calls and a voice mail. Puzzled and a bit suspicious, he dialed his voice mail to listen to the message.

"Levi," Mikasa's voice said, sounding a tad shaken, "there's been an...accident. Eren's in trouble, and you're the only one I can trust with this. Please call me back as soon as possible."

Levi pulled his phone away from his ear with a frown. He couldn't understand why Mikasa would call _him_ for aid. They barely spoke to each other. A horrible possibility came to him then, and he hoped to hell he was wrong. He quickly called her number back, and he made his way into the bathroom connecting to the dressing room so that he could have some privacy if any of the other dancers came in.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded as soon as the girl's voice answered the other line.

"He's passed out," replied Mikasa. "We fell asleep on the couch together, and...I drank too much. I'm not sure what to do, sir. I was going to call for an ambulance if I couldn't reach you—"

"Don't do that yet," advised Levi, tightening his jaw. She didn't need to give him more details for him to figure out that his concerns were right on the money. He knew Eren's blood type, and thanks to Erwin's contribution, he just so happened to have a few pints of it at home. "Stay where you are, keep his feet elevated and hold tight. What's the address where you're at?"

Mikasa gave it to him, and he heard the girl sniff. Usually she demonstrated such composure, but the quiver in her voice and the sounds she was making proved that even a stoic Ackerman could get shaken up. Levi didn't spare any pity for her. In fact, he intended to have a harsh talk with her once he made sure Eren was all right.

* * *

Mikasa could tell by the cold look in Levi's eyes that he was barely checking his rage. Not much could intimidate the young woman, but one look at the silver murder affixing her from beneath the male vampire's thin, dark eyebrows made her take a step back. She moved aside from Armin's front door to make room for Levi, and he wordlessly strode in, carrying a small cooler bag in his left hand.

"Where is he?" demanded Levi in a clipped, low tone.

"I carried him to the bedroom," answered Mikasa. She closed and locked the door, and Levi nodded at her curtly.

"Lead the way, idiot."

She nearly winced at the cutting remark, but she didn't argue with Levi or try to make excuses for herself. It was common knowledge by now that the man was very protective of his fellow dancers, and Levi had already expressed more fondness for Eren and Petra than the rest. She led the other vampire down the hall and to Armin's master bedroom. Levi came in behind her, and his brows pinched when he saw Armin lying beside Eren on the bed, just as dead to the world as the dancer.

"What's with him?" asked Levi, jerking his chin meaningfully at Armin's unconscious form. "Did you snack on him too?"

"No. He...he saw me feeding on Eren. The shock of it made him pass out."

"Tch. You're really on a roll tonight, aren't you girl?" Levi opened up the bag he'd brought, and he produced a pint of blood. "You're gonna have to hold this up once I get the IV into Jaeger's arm, unless you can rig something to substitute for a stand. Think you can manage that?"

"I'll do whatever I have to," swore Mikasa passionately. "Just please help him."

"That's what I'm here for," muttered Levi. He got out a tube, pulling open the cellophane it was in before unraveling it and attaching it to the blood bag. He then got out an IV needle, and he took a deep breath, searching Eren's nearest arm for a promising vein.

"You've done this before?" Mikasa asked softly.

"A couple of times," replied the omega. He rolled up Eren's sleeve to expose his arm, and he tied a tourniquet around his bicep. "It's been a little while. Good thing the supply Erwin gave me also came with all this other shit, or we really _would_ have to take Eren to the hospital. Turn that lamp up and go find some rubbing alcohol and some gauze or cotton, would you?"

Mikasa nodded, more than eager to help. She clicked the bedside lamp up a notch so that Levi could see what he was doing better, and then she rushed out of the bedroom to the main bathroom. She knew where Armin kept everything by now, so it didn't take her very long to bring back the items that Levi requested.

"He only has cotton balls," announced Mikasa.

She watched as Levi tapped the vein he'd chosen on the top of Eren's hand, encouraging it to swell more. Mikasa bit her lip as Levi dabbed some rubbing alcohol over the spot, grabbed the needle and uncapped it.

"Cross your fingers," muttered Levi. "At least the kid has decent veins. If I can't get this on my own, we might need to call Zoë or get him to a hospital. Do you have any kind of story to spin explaining this, if it comes to either of those options?"

Mikasa shook her head, her gaze remaining fixated on what Levi was doing. "No sir. I haven't even considered that. I just wanted to get him some help as soon as possible."

Levi nodded as if he'd been expecting the answer. "Well, you'd better start thinking of one. Maybe he tripped and fell on a meat fork."

Mikasa's brow furrowed. "A...meat fork? How could anyone manage that?"

"You've been fucking him and you don't even know how clumsy this little shit can be off the stage?" Levi glanced at her sidelong, and then he returned his attention to his task.

Mikasa flushed at the observation. Yes, she'd noticed Eren's tendency to be a klutz at times, barring his stage performances. She started to respond to that defensively, but then Armin groaned. Levi glanced at the beta with a little frown, and he voiced a suggestion to Mikasa.

"Better get the cauliflower out of here. I don't need him flipping out again while I'm trying to take care of this and distracting me."

Mikasa gave a nod, finding the logic sound. Given Armin's earlier behavior, she wouldn't be surprised if he started screaming all over again. She mentally reviewed the contents of her friend's medicine cabinet, and she remembered that he had a prescription sleep aid somewhere in there. As awful as she felt for it, perhaps she should take advantage of that to keep Armin from having a panic attack.

* * *

"Oh, my head," complained Eren, slowly coming out of his faint. Disoriented and dizzy, he cracked his eyes open cautiously. The last thing he remembered was Mikasa sucking on his neck, followed by a rush of darkness. His vision came into focus, and he recognized Levi's face hovering over him. "Levi? What...where am I?"

"Hell," answered the other man sarcastically. He nodded at another person standing over the bed, and Eren turned his head to look up at Mikasa. "She's the one that sent you here."

Eren blinked groggily. Mikasa was holding up a drip bag half-full of what appeared to be blood. He then realized that he had an IV in his hand, and he touched it absently. "You gave me a transfusion?"

Levi nodded. "Had to. Your girlfriend here came close to draining you dry. She called me up for help. Lucky for both of you I had some of your blood type in my supply, or you'd be in the hospital right now trying to explain how you ended up this way. You're on bag number two now. I think you'll be okay."

Eren looked at Mikasa again. She wouldn't meet his eyes. "Levi, would you mind giving us a minute alone together? Thanks for coming, but I really think Mikasa and I should talk."

Levi straightened up, brushing his hands off on his denim pants. "Sure. I'll go check on the brainiac while you two have a chat."

Eren gave the older dancer a thankful little smile, and he waited for Levi to exit the room before turning his attention back to Mikasa. He reached out to take her free hand, giving it a squeeze. "I knew. I knew what you were. It probably took me longer than it should have to figure it out, but I want you to know I'm not scared."

Her quiet eyes lifted to meet his. "How did you know? I was very careful not to give it away."

"I knew because of Levi," explained Eren. "He and I used to have kind of an arrangement. I found out he was a vampire a while back, and once I got the screaming out of my system, I offered to be his donor. When you said your last name was Ackerman, I wondered if you two might be related, but I didn't know you were also a vampire until he told me so. I've been trying to think of how to ask you about it ever since, and I thought maybe Armin was your donor the way I used to be Levi's."

Mikasa sighed, and she squeezed his hand. "I'm so sorry, Eren. I never intended to feed on you. I let it go for too long, and I didn't realize what I was doing."

"I understand," he assured her. "I know you didn't mean for it to happen, okay? I'm just light-headed right now, and Levi said I'll be okay. Where's Armin, though? Did he go somewhere?"

"Armin...saw me feeding on you," admitted Mikasa softly. "He didn't react well at all. I put him in the guest bedroom and I dosed him. Eren, I think he's snapped. I've never seen him that way before. I don't know what to do."

Seeing a tear form and trickle down her pale cheek, Eren let go of her hand. He reached up to brush the teardrop away, aching for her. He could only imagine what it must have been like to see Armin spaz out. He'd lost consciousness and missed it, but going by Mikasa's expressed angst, it must have been pretty bad.

"He's too logical to let it freak him out for too long," soothed Eren. "You're his friend. It might take some time, but I think he'll get over it eventually. We just need to sit down together with him and explain everything, that's all. I'll help you."

Mikasa shook her head, and her voice was a tight whisper. "You didn't see him, Eren. He _screamed_. It was really awful. I'm afraid to go near him after this. I was afraid of how you'd react when you woke up, but I had no idea that you had experience with vampires. Do you still feed Levi?"

Detecting a hint of jealousy, Eren shook his head. "No. He's got...um...another donor now. He hasn't fed on me since you and I got together. Where have you been getting your supply from, if it's okay for me to ask?"

"I know someone that works in a blood bank," she explained. "He's an old family friend. Before I met you, he was the only human that knew my family secret."

Eren relaxed, feeling comforted by the knowledge that Mikasa wasn't biting someone else to get what she needed. "Well, I could be your donor from now on. You don't need to rely on bagged blood anymore, if you don't want to."

Mikasa looked away, and she combed her long bangs back. "I couldn't ask that of you. Not after the harm I've done to you."

"You didn't do it on purpose," reasoned Eren. "If you'd been awake, I'm sure you wouldn't have let it go that far. It's actually just as much my fault as yours, Mikasa. I didn't try hard enough to stop you. I shouldn't have tried to be so gentle about it."

She gazed at him uncertainly. "Let me think about it for a while." She stroked his hair, her dark eyes softening on him. "You look tired. You should get some rest, Eren."

He fought a yawn. "Will you be here when I wake up, if I have a nap?"

"Yes. I'm going to go and check on Armin. Just recover quickly, okay?"

Mikasa bent over Eren to give him a soft kiss on the lips. He smiled at her, and he closed his eyes. Despite the situation, he felt safe. Maybe that was stupid of him, but Eren was sure that Mikasa would never deliberately hurt him. They just had to work through this little kink and hope that Armin would come around eventually.

* * *

Levi glanced up when Mikasa poked her head quietly through the door of the guest bedroom. He approached her, and he spoke in a soft undertone. "He's all right. Dead to the world right now, but all right. Let's you and I have a talk in the living room, shall we?"

With a flicker of dread in her eyes, she nodded. She backed off to let him out, and the two of them went into Armin's living room. Levi gestured at the couch meaningfully. Mikasa looked down at it, hesitated a moment, and then sat. Levi joined her, crossing his left ankle over his right knee.

"I'm not going to ream you too hard over this one," Levi said thoughtfully, watching her from the corner of his eye. "Only because I've been there before myself. Sometimes things can get out of hand despite our best efforts to keep it under control."

Levi frowned, too vividly recalling the last time his bloodlust had taken over. Even though it had been partly in self-defense, the memory of coming out of his daze to find a dead body in his arms was going to haunt him for years—possibly the rest of his life. Mikasa was young. She had a better excuse than him for neglecting to feed enough to stave off those preternatural urges. That didn't change the fact that she could have killed Eren, though.

"See to it that it doesn't happen again," he advised, looking at her full-on. "If there's ever a second time, I'm going to let my fists do the talking. Are we clear on that?"

Mikasa nodded. "Yes sir," she whispered. "I would never forgive myself if I'd caused lasting harm to Eren."

The dancer contemplated her silently for a moment, and then he nodded in satisfaction. "I believe you. I can see it in your eyes."

Levi wasn't ready to let it go completely, though. "Eren's a good kid. He's got more balls than brains most of the time, but he'd a good kid. I don't usually let people off with a warning, Mikasa."

"I'm sure you don't," she commented softly.

Satisfied that he made his point, Levi stood up. "Talk's over with. You probably shouldn't be here when your blond friend wakes up."

Mikasa looked dismayed. "But I promised Eren that I would stay."

He speared her with a cold glare. "After how you told me Arlert reacted to seeing you chowing down on Eren, do you really think that's a promise you should be keeping right now? I'll stick around and take care of them. I'll clean up the mess you've made and try to reason with Armin. You can meet up with Eren again later, when he's recovered enough to go home. You'd just better hope you haven't given your friend Armin a total mental breakdown, because if he doesn't snap out of it and goes around raving about vampires, someone might decide to have him locked up in an institution."

Levi stepped closer to her as she got up with a troubled expression. "Go home, Mikasa. Be smart about this. I know a little something about damage control in these situations, so let me handle it."

She deflated with a sigh, bowing her head. "All right. I'll trust you on this. Please at least keep me updated."

"I will," agreed Levi. "Now get out of here before blondie wakes up."

* * *

Armin thought he had just had a nightmare, at first. As he slowly roused from sleep, he tried to pull his sluggish thoughts together and reason out what had happened. He looked around in confusion when he realized that he was in the small twin bed in the spare room, rather than his own queen-sized bed. The bedside lamp was dimly lit, and the clock indicated that it was after three in the morning.

"Eren?" mumbled the beta male, sitting up with effort. "Mikasa?"

Armin swallowed, staring blankly at the floor as he tried to piece together what happened. They'd been watching a second movie he'd picked out. It was turning out to be a boring disappointment, and he'd drifted off next to Eren. He woke up at some point to find his guests making out—or so he'd thought. Then Mikasa pulled away and her mouth...her teeth...

"It can't be," whispered Armin, shaking his head. He had to have dreamed that part. He might have dreamed the whole thing. Maybe he'd had a little too much to drink, and his friends carried him to this bed because the guest room was closer than the master bedroom.

"There's a perfectly logical explanation," insisted the blond to himself stubbornly. They'd watched a horror/comedy film to begin with, and the other day Eren had come up with that weird song and dance about Mikasa being a vampire. Naturally, Armin's thoughts might have drifted into that direction in his sleep. The zombie movie probably influenced it a bit, and sometimes alcohol made him have nightmares when he imbibed too much.

Thinking he'd figured it out, Armin pulled the covers off and got out of the bed. He was still wearing his clothes, minus his shoes. Maybe his friends were still there, perhaps crashed on his living room couch together. Maybe they'd crashed in his bed together. After all, he'd offered it to them if the night ran too late or they drank too much to go home.

He got up and he walked out of the spare room, heading for the living room first to see if either of his friends were in there. Instead, he found the club manager sitting there on the couch, curled up in one corner and watching a documentary on the television with a bored expression on his face.

"Excuse me," Armin said, confusion plain on his face. "I don't mean to be rude, but what are you doing here, Mr. Ackerman?"

Levi looked up from him, pausing in the act of switching the channel. He muted the TV and put the remote down. "Welcome back, sleeping beauty. Come have a seat."

Armin looked around. Dread pooled in his stomach, and his survival instincts started telling him to run. "Where are Mikasa and Eren?"

"Eren's sleeping in your room," answered the head dancer. "Mikasa went home. Sit down, Armin. We need to have a talk."

Armin slowly approached, and he sat down on the opposite end of the couch. This night was turning out to be the most surreal experience in his life, and it just kept getting worse.

* * *

Levi finished explaining everything to Armin, explaining to the young man that he hadn't dreamed or imagined what he'd seen. The blond stared at him with a frozen expression of blended fear, skepticism and confusion on his face. Doubtless, the medicine Mikasa had dosed him with was having a hand in keeping him relatively calm.

"You don't seem like the kind of person that would prank someone," Armin observed, watching Levi as though he were a snake about to strike.

"I'm not," confirmed the omega with a nod.

"And you're telling me that Mikasa really is a vampire, she really fed on Eren and her state of being is hereditary?"

Again, Levi nodded. "She's a true Ackerman, like me. Like my uncle Kenny. Our bloodline isn't the only one with vampirism in the world, but there aren't many out there left. I've only ever run into one vampire from another bloodline in my lifetime."

Armin gave a nervous little laugh. "How much did you get paid to go along with this? Who set it up, Eren?"

Levi sighed. "Don't believe me, huh?"

Armin shrugged jerkily. "Fake blood and teeth could account for what I saw. Eren planted the seed the other day, babbling about Mikasa being a vampire. I don't know why on earth he would do it, but he's obviously having some fun at my expense. Mikasa's clearly in on it, and they somehow convinced you to get in on it too. That could be why Mikasa picked that zombie film. She wanted to set the mood, and she knows I'm not a fan of horror."

"So you're calling me a liar." Levi's eyes narrowed.

Armin took a deep breath. "Granted, I know there are some niches out there with a vampire fetish. I know some people like to roleplay. Is this really just Eren and Mikasa's way of letting me know they're into that stuff too? I would have understood, if they'd just come out and told me. Well, maybe I wouldn't _understand_ , but I would have accepted it and I wouldn't have judged them. There was no need for this elaborate act."

Levi blinked slowly at him. "Tch. Even after seeing it with your own eyes, you're still in denial. All right, kid; I'm gonna show you something, but you'd better not start screaming or I'll have to knock you out."

Armin sat back with the stubborn expression of one who believed he'd already figured it all out, and wouldn't be persuaded otherwise. "Be my guest, sir. I'm not quite as gullible as I may look, though."

"I'm sure you aren't." Levi parted his lips, drew them back from his teeth, and then allowed his fangs to elongate before Armin's eyes. He also relaxed his gaze to allow the preternatural glow to light up his irises, showing Armin definitive proof of what he was.

"Shit!"

Armin scrambled off the couch, and he charged around behind the matching recliner chair sitting diagonal from it, keeping it between himself and Levi. His knuckles went wide with the force of his grip on the back of the chair, and he stared owlishly at Levi. His throat worked, and rather than scream, he visibly tried to compose himself. Levi could see the gears turning in his head as the teacher tried to cope with what he was seeing.

"How did you do that?" Armin finally said in a strangled tone. "Special contact lenses? Fake teeth with some sort of mechanism you can push down on to give the illusion that they're growing?"

Levi retracted his fangs before answering. "No. It's not costume special effects. These are my real teeth and yes, my eyes really glowed. You're going to have to accept it sooner or later, Arlert."

Armin shook his head, and he started for the front door without another word. Levi sighed, and he cut him off at the pass, his form little more than a blur as he took advantage of his vampire speed. From Armin's point of view, he probably seemed to just appear between him and the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Levi said softly as the terrified blond skidded to a halt. "If I wanted to hurt you, I'd have done it by now."

Armin took a hasty step back, and his wide blue eyes flicked around searching for an escape. Levi leaned back against the door, folding his arms over his chest. "Still think we're just pulling your leg, kid? How are you gonna explain away how I got in front of you so fast?"

"I...I don't know what to think," admitted Armin, his voice thin and high. "This can't be real!"

Levi purposely dropped the predatory look on his face, schooling his expression into its usual, calm mask. "It's real. Just take a deep breath. I won't touch you unless you make me act to keep you from doing something stupid, but you've got to really take this in and broaden your mind. Have a seat before you pass out again."

Obviously having little choice but to comply, Armin walked into the living room on shaky legs and sank down into the armchair, keeping his wary gaze on Levi. He sat stiff and poised to try and flee again at the slightest provocation, and Levi kept his movements slow and non-threatening as he reclaimed his seat on the couch.

"Want some water or something?"

Armin licked his lips and nodded jerkily, still keeping his unblinking gaze on the vampire. Levi got up and started for the kitchen. "Don't try to take off again," he warned over his shoulder. "I'll be right back."

* * *

It was close to noon by the time Levi finished talking Armin down and explaining the same details about his bloodline's anatomy to him that he'd given to Erwin. Both men had shadows of exhaustion under their eyes by the time Armin was calm enough to discuss things more rationally.

"I always knew there was something different about Mikasa," said the blond hoarsely. "The way she moves sometimes, her headaches she gets if she's out in the sun for very long without some sort of protective eyewear. I took it at face value when she said she's just got light sensitivity. Now that you've explained it, there's a certain biological sense to it. You eat just like anyone; you just need to ingest blood from time to time."

"That's right." Levi sipped at the tea Armin had boiled up for him. "We're not all that different from you. In all the time you've known Mikasa, has she ever tried to hurt you?"

Armin shook his head. "No. If anything, she's always been protective of me. I just don't understand why she never said anything to me, after all this time!"

"Would you have believed her?" Levi put his tea aside, and he stretched tired muscles.

"I don't know," sighed the blond. "It's just a lot to absorb and accept. Whether intentional or not, she hurt Eren." He glanced over his shoulder at the hallway leading to the master bedroom where Eren still lay resting.

"I'm not excusing what she did," Levi told him, "but she stopped when she came too, right?"

"Yes." Armin faced the dancer again, uncertainty plain on his face.

"And she called for help right away," persisted Levi. "She would have stayed to watch over him if I hadn't made her leave. Believe me, she's punishing herself for this more than anyone else could. It's up to you whether you keep her as a friend or ditch her; I'm not here to influence that choice. Whatever you decide, you can't go blabbing to people about this—both for your own good and for Mikasa's. Most people will write you off as batshit crazy and you can kiss your teaching career goodbye. If anyone _does_ believe you, it would put Mikasa in danger."

"I see your point," whispered Armin. Now he just looked world-weary.

"I'm going to point out another risk," persisted Levi. "Say some other vampires find out there's a guy running around telling people about them, spreading around information about their strengths and weaknesses. What do you think they might do about that, Armin? We hide what we are for a good reason."

The recently restored pigment in Armin's face rapidly drained as Levi's words sank in. "I imagine they would come after me."

Levi nodded. "With a vengeance. I couldn't tell you how many live around here besides us, but there's bound to be a few scattered here and there. The more vulnerable they are to shit like sunlight and silver, the stronger their powers are, too. That's the catch."

Armin thought about that for a moment. "I suppose it serves as a weird kind of balance. Don't take this the wrong way, but what I'm getting from this is that your family would be categorized as the weakest on the vampire scale."

"In terms of supernatural abilities, yeah." Levi shrugged. "That's also what makes it easier for us to pass as ordinary humans. You wouldn't want to piss off the clans that can only come out at night, kiddo. They usually keep to themselves and don't do much killing because it would draw too much attention to them, but they'd rip you apart if you give any of them reason to."

"I...understand."

Armin took another swallow of ice water. He'd already gotten up to pee three times, but evidently he was still suffering some cotton mouth. Levi had to give the guy credit for trying to overcome his fear and shock. The dancer almost said something about that to him, but then Eren came stumbling out of the hallway.

"Eren," called Armin, immediately getting up and rushing to his side. "Here, you're still weak. You shouldn't be on your feet for long.

"I've got a work shift this afternoon," stated Eren groggily. "Where's Mikasa?"

"You're not getting on stage in this condition," Levi informed his junior sternly. "You're going to park your ass here and let blondie take care of you. Mikasa had to go, but she wants you to call her when you're feeling well enough to."

Eren looked at his friend as Armin directed his unsteady footsteps over to the couch, helping him to sit down. "Did you guys talk about what happened?"

Armin glanced at Levi. He sat down on the armchair again, still keeping his distance from the small, dangerous omega. "Mr. Ackerman explained everything to me. He told me about how you were his donor, and he explained everything about his family line. I haven't spoken to Mikasa since last night."

"Are you okay?" Though pale from his ordeal, Eren seemed coherent, and his concern was plainly for Armin rather than himself.

"I don't know," answered the blond truthfully. He looked at Levi. "I'm still shaken. It's going to take time for me to come to terms with this. This may sound horrible, but I don't want to see Mikasa again until I can figure out how to feel about this and what to say to her."

"Don't blame her," pleaded Eren. He too looked at Levi, only his was the look of one who wanted guidance from a respected mentor. "Levi, tell him! Mikasa's not evil. She didn't know what she was doing."

"I've already told him everything he needs to know." Levi got up, collected his teacup and started for the kitchen. "I'm going to clean this out and go. I think you guys can handle things from here without me."

"B-but," Eren started helplessly.

"Armin's an adult, Eren," Levi snapped. "He's got all the information he needs. Let him make his own choice about Mikasa. That's my final piece of advice. I've got to get a little rest and then deal with Kenny. If you start feeling faint, call me and I'll bring more blood. Avoid going to the hospital right now, unless you can come up with a good explanation for your injury that doesn't involve your girlfriend drinking your blood."

Eren sighed and lapsed into silence. Levi finished his task of cleaning up after himself, and then he left the two friends alone to discuss things.

* * *

-To be continued


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a hasty upload with only a cursory proofread, because I'm racing against time. After work today, I'll be off to Nevada and I won't be updating for over a week, if not longer. As a big fat "thank you" to everyone for following this story, I dedicate this chapter to all my readers and supporters. And now, I leave you with some Eruri smut and Eren/Mikasa fluff! Hahahaha! *Twirls away in a puff of smoke*
> 
> (I will of course come back and correct any mistakes when I return from my heathen journey)

As expected, Kenny wasn't a bit pleased that night when Levi made it to the club. He let his nephew know as much in no uncertain terms the moment Levi stepped into their office.

"Goddamn it, you fanged punk! Do you know how much revenue you're costing me, taking off all the time like this? First ya ran off with Smith, and then ya vanished again last night! I'm already down one dancer for at least another week. I can't have you flaking out on me like this all the time!"

Levi practiced self-restraint with some difficulty. The nap he'd taken before coming in hadn't done much for him, and he was frustrated enough with recent events to want to gnash his teeth. "Something came up," he said flatly. "I was helping out a friend."

"Yeah? Who?"

Levi shot a glare at him, and he sat down at his desk to power up his laptop. "None of your business. Now get off my back so I can make some schedule changes. The club's still making plenty of money."

"It'd make even more if some of you weren't so stingy," muttered Kenny.

Levi chose to ignore that comment. By now, his uncle's suggestions that he and the other dancers be more willing to perform sexual favors was old babble, and he was finally starting to learn to tune it out. He opened up the scheduling program, and he put himself in two of Eren's performance slots. The other three he divvied out between Hitch, Ally and Brenda. With that done, he closed down the program and he started to leave the office to get changed.

"Hold up, kid."

Levi checked a sigh, pausing at the door. He turned to look at Kenny impatiently. "What?"

"I've got an escort assignment for you tomorrow." Kenny checked his own schedule, clicking on a tab to bring a page up. "Name's Benton Alexander. He's a businessman from Frampton, and he needs a date Sunday night. He asked for ya when I sent him pictures of all our dancers available for the job."

Levi hesitated. He'd taken on one or two escort appointments since the disaster that happened with Cole, but those had been clients he was familiar with, and things had changed. He was now pair-bonded with Erwin Smith, and though the mafia boss hadn't tried to forbid him from taking escort appointments, Levi was sure he wouldn't like it if he caught wind of it. Even as he thought of this, his expression darkened. They'd only been mated for a few days, and already, his business decisions were being influenced by what Erwin might or might not like. Levi still had a debt to pay, and the sooner he took care of it, the better.

"What's his type?" asked Levi.

"Beta." Kenny smirked at him. "Don't worry, kid; I know how ya feel about alphas...at least _most_ of 'em. I already did a background check on him, but you can do some digging yourself if that's not enough to suit you. He's willing to pay a lot to have you on his arm, too. You ought to think about it."

Levi's expression remained calm, but inwardly, he was fighting a battle with himself. It didn't _feel_ right. Not that he'd ever been particularly thrilled with escort services, but just the thought of going on even a business date with someone besides Erwin made his stomach twist sickeningly. He was a stubborn creature, though. Just because fate had bound him to Erwin Smith didn't mean he had to give up part of his income. He'd already promised the blond that no kissing or intimate touching would occur on any escort dates, and he'd been keeping that promise since he made it.

"I'll look into it when I'm on break," Levi decided. Just saying those words was annoyingly difficult for him. "I'll get back to you when I've decided."

Who said Erwin had to know, anyway? It was just business.

* * *

Unfortunately for Levi, Erwin was keeping closer tabs on him than he suspected. The first time he'd found out the stripper was on an escort date was by chance when he spotted Levi and his client inside a restaurant while passing by. The second time, Levi had told Erwin himself and asked for his help after things went downhill in a very bad way. Now that the two of them were properly mated, Erwin felt justified in keeping a closer eye on Levi from day to day.

Erwin knew the surly little omega would probably be outraged if he found out about it, but he spoke with Kenny anyway and told him that he wanted to know about any changes to Levi's work schedule, including additional escort appointments he might pick up. It wasn't that he didn't trust Levi to be loyal to him. Erwin didn't trust other people not to try and take liberties, and he simply didn't want to see a repeat of what happened that night with Greg Cole. There was already a risk that Levi could get into trouble with the law as well as rival mafia over that event, and Erwin wanted to protect him.

At least, that was what Erwin told himself. When he found out Levi had accepted another escort date for Sunday night, however, there was no stopping the surge of jealousy he felt. The alpha didn't know what made him think that his omega would stop taking those damned appointments of his own. Levi had agreed to certain terms, but he'd never expressed the slightest interest in changing his business practices. Erwin had just entertained the hope that he would see things differently, now that they were bonded for life.

Telling himself that he was being a fool and setting himself up for hurt, Erwin nevertheless cancelled his meeting for Sunday evening, and he made arrangements to watch Levi himself...for the omega's own good, of course.

* * *

"Boss, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it," Mike uttered to Erwin as the two of them watched Levi and his "date" from a rental car, "you're fucking obsessed."

Erwin kept his eyes fixated on Levi as the client he was out with. The pair were crossing the street, heading into an exclusive nightclub together. Hopefully they wouldn't be out late, seeing as it was a Sunday evening.

"Did you even hear me?" demanded Mike in his low monotone.

"I heard you," answered Erwin.

"This isn't healthy." Mike frowned. "I know he's hot, but you're not together. You just marked him as a business investment, right?"

Erwin finally tore his eyes off the building, now that Levi had gone inside. He looked sidelong at his friend, who had been at his side since he took over the family. If anything happened to him, Mike would take over, and if anything happened to Mike, Hange would be next in line. Erwin smirked at the other blond, amused.

"Actually, you're wrong."

Mike frowned at him. He combed his bangs out of his eyes. "About which part?"

"Us being together. He's my omega now, in every way."

Mike narrowed his eyes at him. "When the hell did this happen?"

"Earlier in the week." Realizing that he'd made an error in not telling one of his oldest, most trusted friends such an important detail, Erwin explained further. "I've been focusing on dealing with recent issues within the circle. I apologize for failing to mention it to you, but it isn't a thing that I want advertised. I'm still getting used to it."

"Hmph. So when _were_ you going to say something?"

"When things calm down a bit and we have a more solid contingency plan. Trust me, you and Hange were going to be the first to know. I don't want it going past the two of you for a while, though. I don't want word to get out to the wrong people that I have a life mate."

Mike nodded slowly, his rancor fading. "After that exchange with Eddie, I don't blame you."

"You don't seem surprised by the news that I'm pair-bonded to him," observed Erwin.

Mike sighed, and he shrugged. "I had a feeling it would happen sooner or later. Never seen you so hung up on anyone before. You're right; it's dangerous for this to go public. Now I get the obsessive stalking."

"I wouldn't call it stalking," denied Erwin, flushing a bit.

"No? You blew off an important meeting with Shadis for this stakeout." Mike smirked at him. "What's he doing taking escort dates now anyway, if you two are mated?"

"It's complicated."

"Then how about you enlighten me?" pressed Mike. "We're going to be sitting here for a while."

Erwin didn't dispute that observation. "I have reasons. For one, any significant changes in Levi's routine might raise questions. People may start wondering why he's no longer taking these appointments. That could lead back to me. I try to keep interactions of a sensual nature between us private, more or less keeping to our usual routines to avoid advertisement of our true status."

Mike nodded. "All right, that makes sense. I wouldn't allow it if it were me, though. Don't know how you can stand it."

"Hence the 'stalking', as you call it," remarked Erwin dryly. "I can accept for a time that Levi may take some escort jobs, so long as it's strictly professional and doesn't involve intimacy. That doesn't mean I can't ensure his safety by checking in on him when he does this."

"Got it. What he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?"

Erwin nodded. "Exactly."

* * *

On Monday night, Levi went into work at his usual time. Erwin dropped in to the club when he knew he would be working, and as he watched his mate perform on the main stage, a possessive feeling arose in Erwin's breast. He'd played the gentlemen and kept his knowledge of Levi's night out with another man to himself, but the more Erwin watched him, the more he felt the need to stake his claim again. The flashing lights shone on Levi's dark, silky hair as the omega seduced his audience with his smooth gyrations, acrobatic skills on the pole and breathtaking physique. It almost physically hurt Erwin to watch him and not rush up on the stage to carry him off.

He drank his cocktail deeply, keeping his eyes on his mate from a distance. When Levi finished the routine and exited the stage, Erwin made his move. He went straight to the office to arrange a private dance, and this time, he told Kenny that he wanted access to the master keycard, so that he could use the secure door separating the viewing booth from the dancing room.

Erwin stepped into the booth, locked it behind him and he had a seat. He watched as the lights in the dancing room came on, and his fierce, defiant, beautiful mate came in. Levi had changed outfits quickly, but knowing how deft the omega was, that didn't surprise Erwin. The alpha toyed with the keycard in his hand as the sensual tune came on and Levi began to dance, using moves that he knew turned Erwin on the most.

A smile curved Erwin's lips, and his body reacted swiftly to the enticing moves Levi performed for him. He made himself hold back and wait, delighting in every inch of skin and muscle revealed to him as Levi started to shed his clothes.

Not yet. He wanted the dancer to reach a certain stage of undress before Erwin went through with his plan. His groin throbbed with eager lust, and he grimaced as he squirmed a bit in his seat to relieve the pressure. Erwin reached down to unzip his pants, finding the attempt unsatisfactory. He sighed in relief, his underwear now poking out of his fly obscenely with his substantial erection.

Soon. Not just yet.

When Levi removed his thong and was left in only his boots, Erwin got up.

Perfect.

The mafia boss strode to the door that was usually off-limits to clients, and he used his keycard to unlock it. Taking off his jacket and tossing it aside, he went through the door and went out onto the polished wooden surface of the dance floor. Levi went still at his approach, staring at him with a delightful look of surprise on his face. His hands were still wrapped around the pole, his legs slightly parted in preparation to do a move with the object.

"What the fuck are you doing?" demanded the vampire. He then saw that Erwin's fly was wide open. His silvery eyes fixated on the alpha's quite obvious state of arousal, and Levi's eyelids slipped lower, hooding his gaze in a sly manner. "Oh, I think I see."

"Turn around," instructed Erwin huskily. He popped open the button crowning his fly, and he unbuckled his belt.

At first, he thought the omega wouldn't cooperate. A flash of defiance lit up his mate's eyes, but then Levi's expression softened as he stared up at Erwin's face. The blond had no idea what he must look like to Levi right now, but the smaller man seemed to like what he saw. Levi turned around slowly, putting his back to Erwin with his hands still clutching the pole.

"You had an escort date last night," murmured Erwin, pressing up behind him.

"So?" Levi turned his head to look over his shoulder at him, and a tiny smirk adorned his lips. It was a self-satisfied smirk that he failed to contain.

Erwin tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at him, running his hands over Levi's body possessively. "Why do I get the feeling that you enjoy pushing my buttons?"

"Did it make you jealous?" Levi challengingly kept looking at him, not trying to stop him from feeling him up. His breath caught a little when Erwin reached around front and between his thighs to give his cock a gentle pull, his grip warm and skilled over the flesh.

The alpha's stare locked with his omega's, and another suspicion arose. "You knew I was there."

"Tch. Yeah, I knew you were there. I could sense you, idiot. The mating bond made it easier."

Erwin felt a bit foolish. He should have considered that possibility. "Does it give you a thrill, flaunting these things to me?"

"Only when you spy on me," answered Levi softly. "So are you satisfied that I'm keeping my promise to you, or what?"

Erwin hadn't followed Levi inside the dance club or tried to look into any windows to see if his client tried to do any of the things he'd forbidden, but just imagining the man doing it made his blood pound in his temples. He slipped a finger between Levi's ass cheeks, watching his face as he stroked the moisture he found there. A gratifying flush spread over Levi's cheeks, and the omega's gaze went blank. Erwin eased his finger in, while at the same time stroking Levi's cock to fullness.

"I can't be sure what your client did or didn't attempt to do," he husked, an edge of danger in his voice. "I remained outside while watching over you. I can't see through walls."

"Nothing happened," Levi said after catching his breath. His fingers tightened around the dancer pole, and he caught his lower lip between his front teeth. A breathy little hiss escaped his lips when Erwin pushed deeper within him to locate his prostate. The alpha slicked his thumb over the moist tip of Levi's arousal, making him shudder.

"I need more convincing," informed Erwin. His avaricious attentions went on, intensifying with his greed for this man. He started to pump his finger slowly, provoking more slick production inside of his mate and drawing additional little gasps and grunts from him. "I can't be expected to simply look away all the time, Levi. You need to show me that this is all mine."

"You...sadist," moaned the omega, turning his head back around to face the pole and bowing it. His bowed shoulders and back tensed, and he started to reach down to put his hand over the one Erwin was stroking him off with.

"No," purred the alpha. "Stay as you are."

The hand trembled, and then it returned to the pole beneath the other one. Levi gripped hard as Erwin breached him with a second finger and started to slowly pump. The omega's breath started coming out labored, and his hips rocked as if compelled by the stimulation. It felt like a little game he was playing; a test to see how worked up he could get Erwin. The alpha left off stroking Levi's arousal, and he reached into his pants pocket for the roll of condom packets he'd put in there. He worked one free of the others attached to it, and he tore it open with his teeth. He kept his lover distracted by massaging him inside while Erwin manhandled the condom out of the package. He was forced to withdraw his fingers from inside Levi to properly expose himself and apply the condom, but the stripper followed his instructions and didn't move from his position.

Once he had the item rolled on securely, Erwin guided himself to his goal. When he was nudged against it, he squeezed Levi's ass to spread the cheeks, and he slowly entered him.

Levi's breath caught, and a low moan surfaced in his throat. A shudder went through his small, athletic frame. Deeper...deeper. Erwin took it at an agonizing pace, filling Levi up gradually so that he could feel every hard inch of him in vivid detail. When he was nearly up to the hilt, Erwin gave a firm push, completing the breach until his pelvis was tightly pressed against the omega's ass.

This time Levi couldn't contain his cry, and Erwin felt his cock twitch as the alpha reached around again to grip it. "There," said the blond in a rough, lusty voice. "Does this suffice as a reminder?"

* * *

Levi bit his lip to avoid crying out again as Erwin's big, thick cock slowly withdrew, and then drove into him again with that snap of the hips at the end. Once more, the mafia boss stopped, and he held himself deep within Levi. Erwin bent over to whisper into the panting stripper's ear. "Who was he?"

Levi tried to catch his breath, his white-knuckled hands gripping the dancing pole tightly. Erwin was having one of his controlling, territorial moments and God help him, the omega loved it as much as he resented it.

"He was nobody," managed Levi, barely avoiding a whine of need. "I told you, it was just an escort date like the last one. You know I...don't fuck my clients!"

Erwin rocked his hips from side to side, stimulating Levi inside and causing ripples of pleasure to spread through his body. It was delicious torture, and Levi struggled not to beg the man to start thrusting again. His body reacted so strongly to Erwin's alpha presence, and he was helpless to stop it. Their relationship was evolving. Little by little, it was becoming something more than raw sexual chemistry. At the same time, that growing affection between them seemed to be intensifying Levi's desire for him, whittling away at his resistance.

"Are you telling me," murmured Erwin, "that not even touching took place? Kissing?"

The mafia boss withdrew to the tip, and then thrust back in deeply again. This time, Levi couldn't contain a small cry. Erwin's big hand cupped Levi's jaw, forcing him to turn his head. He was so much taller than the exotic dancer that he had no trouble reaching, and he kissed Levi's gasping lips deeply before speaking against them. "He never tasted these lips the entire night?"

"No," insisted Levi. "He just...needed a companion. Fuck...I swear, Erwin...we didn't do anything. Told you I wouldn't do any of that."

Erwin pumped again, and his breath was warm against the stripper's cheek. "I can accept that you make good money doing this, and I know that escort services can be a part of it. But Levi..." he pumped again, harder this time. Levi moaned, bowing his head. "I won't have other men touching you...let alone having you this way. Is that understood?"

Levi bit his lower lip again, refusing to answer. He didn't really _have_ to play this game with Erwin; he could put a stop to it with the right word. Erwin had already demonstrated that he would honor Levi's wishes and stop if he really wanted him to. Resentment and desire churned in a confusing blend within Levi's breast as he panted and tried to hold back his cries. God, could this man ever fuck.

When Levi didn't respond to Erwin's demanding question, the alpha started taking him with quick, shallow thrusts. He angled them perfectly, so that his dick was bumping steadily against Levi's sweet spot. The omega's eyes rolled and his brows forked. He let go of the pole with one hand and he covered his mouth to muffle himself.

"Did I not speak...clearly enough?" grunted Erwin. One big hand reached between Levi's pale thighs to curl around his bobbing erection and stroke it again...slowly. The other hand glided over the omega's tense chest and tight abs, before locating and fondling his pebbled nipples, one at a time.

Levi clenched his jaw, fast becoming overwhelmed by the combination of erotic sensations that Erwin was provoking in him. He started panting fast and hard like a wounded animal, his moans vibrating against the palm of his hand.

"Say it, Levi," demanded Erwin huskily, neither slowing or changing the force of his thrusts.

He couldn't bear it any longer. Every cell in his body was screaming for Levi to surrender to his alpha, and before he knew it, he pulled his hand away from his mouth and gasped a compliant response. "I...understand. I'm...yours."

That tension in his belly and pelvis was reaching an explosive point, and Levi rested his forehead against the cool shaft of the dancer pole, breath catching harshly with each of his companion's thrusts. He started groaning expletives, unable to hold back any longer. Erwin pumped his hand faster over Levi's cock, rewarding him for his cooperation. His dick rammed home harder, and Levi cried out as he came. Erwin's breath was ragged in the dancer's ear, rough and hot. Levi could smell the sweet cigar the blond had been smoking before interrupting his dance. It blended in with Erwin's cologne, creating an interesting mix of scents.

"Levi," growled Erwin, the cadence of his thrusts becoming erratic as he approached his release. He grabbed Levi's hips with both hands, yanking him back into his pumps. He tensed up against him, groaning into his ear as he followed the smaller man into climax. His hot, sweaty forehead pressed against Levi's shoulder as Erwin grunted and panted with his release.

Levi closed his eyes, masking them from the alpha as Erwin recovered and cupped the omega's chin to turn his head for a kiss. It was an unhurried kiss, almost tender. The little game was over now, and Erwin's satisfaction was obvious with each press of his lips and swipe of his tongue.

"Was I too rough?" husked the mafia boss after catching his breath. He pulled his softening length out of Levi, keeping one arm supportively around the dancer's waist.

"No, control freak," answered Levi, still winded. "Just wasn't expecting you to come right in and jump me like that. Since you initiated this, you get to clean up the splatter on the stage."

"I think that's fair enough." Erwin kissed Levi's shoulder. "It seems I'm more impulsive than average, when it comes to you."

Erwin produced a handkerchief from his suit pocket, and he wiped his junk off before tucking it back into his pants. He wiped off Levi as well, and then he knelt down to clean up the spunk on the stage floor. He glanced quietly at Levi as the exotic dancer started putting his stage clothes back on.

"You do know that wasn't entirely an act on my part," Erwin said quietly.

Levi paused with his black, velcro-lined shirt partway on. He'd slipped on a pair of shades—something he did out of habit when his adrenaline was running high or the lighting started hurting his eyes. "You're not that good an actor," he confirmed. He knew Erwin was a jealous bastard, no matter how graceful the man tried to pretend to be about Levi's work. "I wasn't just playing along either when I told you that you're the only one I've been fucking. Do you believe me or what?"

"I believe you." Erwin straightened up his suit, and he nodded at the door leading into the viewing booth he'd come out of. "Come have a drink and a smoke with me?"

Levi shrugged. There was no more that needed to be said about their arrangement. He wasn't going to turn down a drink and a cigarette after sex like that. His knees were still shaking.

* * *

Erwin watched his companion from the corner of his eye as he poured them each a brandy from the bottle he'd brought into the viewing booth with him. He offered a cigarette from the pack he'd brought with him, already knowing Levi's brand. He lit it for him and he sat down in the armchair, patting his lap meaningfully.

"What's wrong with this other seat?" Levi demanded with a gesture at the other armchair in the room.

"It's too far away from me." Erwin shrugged.

Levi rolled his eyes. Even with his shades on, Erwin could tell he was doing it. He'd been observing this man very closely since meeting him and getting intimate with him, and he thought he was beginning to understand Levi better with each day. Still, the omega was largely a mystery to him. Levi was guarded, and he seemed to keep certain parts of himself veiled in secrecy effortlessly.

"Can you remove those please?" requested Erwin with a nod at the sunglasses masking Levi's eyes, once the smaller man obligingly straddled his lap, his knees pressing into the cushion of the chair.

"Why?" Levi cocked his head.

"I like to look people in the eye when I'm speaking with them," answered Erwin simply, "and this room is quite dim. The lighting shouldn't bother your eyes, and I already know they tend to glow when you're in a...heightened state."

Levi hesitated, but then he reached up to pull his shades off slowly, and he regarded Erwin in an almost wary manner. "There. Happy?"

Erwin nodded, unbothered by the lingering, preternatural light in his lover's gaze. He did love those eyes. Nearly always half-lidded as if the man were either bored or sleepy, they were a wintry gray color. Enigmatic, just like their owner.

"That's much better," approved Erwin softly.

Levi set the glasses aside on the little table between the two chairs, next to the bottle of brandy. He took a sip of his drink and a drag from his cigarette, and then he put the drink down on the table.

"So what made you decide you just couldn't wait for the dance to finish before pounding me in the ass and interrogating me about my last escort job?" Levi blew the smoke up into the air, tilting his head back briefly before lowering his chin to look Erwin in the eyes again.

"It was partly jealousy, as I earlier admitted." Erwin took a sip of his drink, grimaced a bit, and then rested one hand intimately on Levi's hip. "More than that, it was my libido."

Erwin traced Levi's hip, and he slipped his hand up underneath the dancer's shirt to caress his stomach, feeling the tight abdominal muscles bunch and relax beneath his grazing fingertips. "I have a voracious appetite for your charms, I confess. It _has_ been days since I last had you. I needed my 'Levi fix'."

"Tch. So you're saying you're a stripper junkie?" Levi smirked, and he picked up his glass to have another swallow of brandy.

"At least when it comes to you." Erwin breathed in Levi's scent, and he decided that if he could bottle it and market it, he could probably earn enough to retire from the syndicate and live comfortably.

"What's so damned funny?" demanded Levi when the alpha male started to chuckle at the direction of his own thoughts.

"It's nothing," assured Erwin. "My mind just wandered in an unusual place. So, are you still concerned about the possibility of birth control failure?"

"Meaning am I worried you could knock me up on accident?" Levi shrugged. "A little. Mostly if we do it while I'm in heat or you're in rut. Even designer alpha condoms obviously can't keep up with that kind of fucking. I've been considering getting on omega birth control as an added precaution."

The alpha nodded. "If it would make you feel safer, by all means do it."

It began to occur to Erwin that perhaps Levi had more trauma in his past than he'd let on. Their was a passionate undertone to his words that others might have missed, but Erwin was more observant than most. He chose to say nothing more about it, because he got the distinct feeling that prying for more details would only piss Levi off. He didn't want to end a pleasant encounter with angry feelings, and Levi's temper was volatile enough as it was.

* * *

Levi was pleasantly sore and tingly when he left the private booth to go and freshen up for his next dance. He came across Eren on his way to the dressing room, and he gave him a quick inspection. The boy had regained his tan complexion, and his eyes were bright again. If he seemed a little tired, that could be attributed to the strain the weekend had put on his relationship with Mikasa and Armin. Eren smiled at him as the two of them fell into step together, and he let Levi go into the dressing room first.

"I told you I could make it back on Monday," Eren said. He selected his first dancing outfit, and he started changing into it. He tilted his head as he folded and placed his discarded street clothes into his locker, watching Levi with interest. "You look kind of flushed."

Levi resisted the temptation to touch his cheeks self-consciously. He and Eren were the only dancers currently in the changing room, so he could speak freely. "I was just with Erwin."

"Oh." Eren's brows went up. "Right here, in the club?"

Levi shrugged. He picked out a cobalt blue, silver-trimmed ensemble and he started changing into it. "Gotta get the nookie sometime, kid. Our schedules don't exactly line up well."

"He doesn't take you out on dates?"

Levi paused in fastening his chain belt. He'd forgotten. "Oh yeah. He's taking me to see the Ice Capades at the end of the month. Guess that'll be our first official date together."

Eren relaxed, smiling a little. "Good. You deserve a little special treatment."

"Don't get too excited," warned Levi. "There's a lot of shit going on and something could come up to make us cancel those plans."

Eren finished putting on his skimpy cut-off shorts and ripped top, and he gave the older omega a frown. "What kind of things? You mean with those guys coming in here that night and causing trouble?"

"Never mind," said Levi tactfully. He planned to talk to his dancers about the situation with the kingpen that originally wanted to buy them, but not before he had enough details and knew what they could be dealing with. Erwin already had a couple of his people keeping watch on the Omega Experience regularly, and Kenny had installed a couple of extra security cameras in the parking lot over the weekend.

"But you sound pretty serious."

Levi looked Eren dead in the eye, and he spoke softly to him. "Not now, brat. Keep your shitty mouth shut about it and focus on patching things up with your trio. I'll let you know more when you _need_ to know it, all right?"

Eren lapsed into silence, not daring to argue with him.

* * *

Days later, Eren and Mikasa went on their first date since the unfortunate biting incident. They were at a local café together having lunch before Eren's first shift. The silence between them was deafening to her, and as she added a little pepper to the French Onion soup she'd ordered, she glanced from beneath lowered lashes at her boyfriend. Eren was taking an inordinate amount of interest in the posters plastered over the red brick walls of the jazz café they sat in.

"Penny for your thoughts?" prompted Mikasa softly.

Eren looked at her with conflicted, bright eyes. A hint of gold highlighted the emerald color of them, indicating heightened emotion. "Have you spoken with Armin at all?"

She nibbled her lip, and she looked down at the spoon swirling in her soup to stir in the pepper. "No. I've tried to call him each day, but he never picks up."

"What about texting?" Eren asked. He took a bite of his Ruben, and he washed it down with a few swallows of lime soda. "He could just be in a busy moment. Maybe if you leave him a text—"

"You and I both know it isn't because he's busy," interrupted Mikasa softly. She met his eyes, regret flashing in her gaze. "He's avoiding me, Eren…and I don't blame him."

For a moment, sheer frustration rippled over the dancer's attractive, tanned features. "Then I'll have a talk with him. You guys have been friends for a long time, and I'm sure you've seen your share of tough spots together and come through. I won't let your friendship die because of this!"

Mikasa offered him a sad little smile. "We've seen rough times together, but not like this. Let it be, Eren. Right now, Armin needs some space. I only call to let him know I'm thinking of him, to remind him that I'm still here if he needs me or wants me. Your friend Levi was right. Armin needs his space right now. I think he'll come around eventually, but until then, I'm not going to push it and neither should you. Please respect that."

Eren sighed. He complied with her request and dropped the subject, despite his obvious determination to set things right. He looked at the sunglasses propped on Mikasa's head, and he nodded at them. "Cute shades. Are they new?"

Mikasa impulsively reached up with her free hand to touch the metallic purple frames of the oval-shaped sunglasses, and she nodded. "Yes. Thank you for noticing."

Eren shrugged, and he picked up a fry to swirl it in a glob of ketchup on his plate. "I always notice when my pretty girl has something new. I'd be a sucky boyfriend if I didn't."

Mikasa chuckled softly. He was so damned sweet. Most guys—be they alpha, omega or beta—tended not to notice such things unless they were the flamboyant sort. Her smile faded as she thought on the way Eren interacted with what could soon become her ex best friend, and he made a decision.

"He likes you, you know."

Eren had a mouth full of the French fry he'd just eaten, and he looked at her blankly. "Hmm?" he mumbled around the food.

"Armin," elaborated Mikasa. "He really likes you."

Eren finished chewing and swallowing. "Oh. I like him too. He's a great guy."

Seeing that he wasn't getting the hint, Mikasa helped him out a little. "I mean he _really_ likes you, Eren. The way I do. He's attracted to you."

Eren froze, staring at her like a deer caught in the headlights. "H-he does?"

She nodded solemnly. "Yes, and you feel the same way about him. It's okay. I've noticed, even if you're oblivious that it's mutual."

Eren choked a bit, and he swiftly took a few swallows of his beverage. "Mika, I'd never—"

"I know," she intervened kindly, soothingly. "I know that you would never act on it, and neither would he. You're both too loyal for that. I…want you to do it, though. I'm giving you my consent, Eren. If there's one person in this world I could ever share you with, it's Armin."

He ogled her. "I don't get it. Are you telling me to make a pass at him? Mikasa, you don't have to do this. You don't owe us a free pass just because of an accident!"

"That isn't why I'm doing this," she insisted. "Eren, I'm doing this because I care deeply for you both. Even if Armin and I can't ever be close again like we once were, I want you both to be happy. I don't think I can even bring myself to be jealous of him. That's how deeply I trust him…and you. If you want him, then act on it before it gets to a point where you're in the 'friend zone' and I would be too awkward. As your girlfriend, you have my complete approval."

Eren dropped his sandwich. He couldn't have looked more stunned if she's jumped over the table and decided to bite him on the neck as a main course.

* * *

-To be continued


	14. Chapter 14

Levi debated over whether or not to answer his phone when he awoke to the sound of it ringing. He'd slept in, sore and exhausted from the vigorous activities of the night before.

"Leave me alone," he grumbled from beneath the depths of his covers. "Sleeping now."

The phone rang out as the voicemail picked it up, and Levi started to drift off again, satisfied that the pesky caller would take the hint and call back later. He didn't have to be at the club until nine at night, and he intended to take advantage of that and get some decent sleep, for a change. Just as Levi snuggled into a more comfortable position and started to drift back off to slumber, his phone went off again. Frowning with annoyance, he stuffed the pillow over his head to block out the sound. He was going to have to silence the thing, because _someone_ wasn't taking "no" for an answer.

It took a moment for his groggy mind to recognize the ringtone, and once the omega did, he yanked the pillow off his head and squirmed over to reach out for the phone on his nightstand. "Of course it would be you," muttered the irritable vampire, squinting in discomfort even though the blinds were drawn to block out the morning light. His eyes watered, and he sat up with a grunt. With his phone in one hand, he reached for the shades he kept handy on the same bedside table for convenience. He slipped them on, scrubbed his fingers through his mussed dark hair and brought the phone to his ear.

"What the hell, Smith? You ought to know by now that I don't get up this fucking early, unless I haven't slept at all. Are you _trying_ to get me to come over and put my boot up your ass, or what?"

"Good morning to you too," came the deep, masculine reply on the other line. Erwin's smile could be heard in his voice. "Actually, it's closer to noon, now. I thought it might be late enough in the day to call you. I wouldn't want to get in trouble again for not calling you enough."

Levi's mouth tightened at the reminder that he'd chewed Erwin out for not answering his texts or calling him back yesterday. He supposed he'd asked for this, but he wasn't going to admit that to Erwin. "So what do you want?" he said ungraciously, refusing to acknowledge how eagerly he'd reached for the phone when he realized who was calling him.

"Do I need an excuse to call my mate and say hello?" Erwin chuckled. "I just heard that yawn. You're very cute when you're first waking up."

"Fuck you," groused Levi, flushing at the observation.

"Well, if you insist," teased Erwin. "I could be there in an hour, though I would be late for my appointment. You're worth it, though."

Levi rolled his eyes. He was beginning to understand that Erwin came out with such cheesy bullshit partly just to push his buttons. First the man took advantage of his heat and pair-bonded with him, and now he was waking him up early to pick on him over the phone.

"Wasn't an invitation," stated Levi flatly, though he squirmed a little with the memory of the night before. He felt himself getting wet immediately, his body reacting sluttishly to the thought of having Erwin's cock again. Levi glared down at the tent growing in the sheets where they covered his groin. He'd slept in the nude when he got home, too tired to bother putting on pajama bottoms or underwear for bed. Now there was going to be a damp spot on his bedding, and it was all Erwin's fucking fault.

"Are you sure?" the alpha's tone sounded faintly smug to Levi's ears. "It could definitely help you relax and get to sleep."

"You've got shit to do, and I was already asleep when you called...persistent asshole."

At least Erwin was _asking_ , rather than just coming over and making demands of him. Levi honestly didn't know if he'd be able to perform tonight, if he let his mate fuck him again right now. He needed to recover a bit.

"All right, Levi." Erwin chuckled again. "I can take a hint. I just wanted to check in with you before I start the day's business. I don't want you to feel I'm being neglectful."

"Passive-aggressive much?" challenged Levi.

"Well, you _did_ give me some hard grief over missing your texts yesterday," Erwin reasoned. "I'm just teasing you. I'll let you get back to sleep."

"You're too..." Levi trailed off for a second to yawn again. "...kind."

"I'll text or call you later tonight," informed Erwin gently. "Sweet dreams, my Levi."

A little shiver passed through the omega in response to his alpha's caressing tone. He wasn't ready to fully embrace their bond yet, though. He still harbored resentment toward Erwin for it, even though every cell in his body longed for the man's touch. Erwin was going to have to keep working for it, even though they were bonded.

* * *

After hanging up with Erwin and going back to sleep, Levi was plagued with strange nightmares. He saw shadowed figures sitting around a table, discussing something. He couldn't make out what they were saying. All save one of them had masculine voices. The female voice was husky, deeper than average. He thought it sounded like Hange's. There was a heaviness in the air, a sense of veiled hostility. Levi twitched in his sleep, getting the unshakable feeling of danger.

"Erwin," he mumbled, a frown pulling at his lips. "Be careful. Look out."

He couldn't say why he felt like Erwin was the one in danger. Levi rarely dreamed, and never did he get this feeling of dread from the experience. This time, however, he broke out in a cold sweat. As the odd dream sequence went on, the hostility in the misty environment thickened. Voices got raised, and Levi recognized another voice as Mike's yelling for Erwin to get down. There was gunfire, followed by a jabbing pain in his ribs.

Levi thrashed in bed. The dream faded, and he sat up abruptly, holding his right side with wide, blank eyes. His breath shuddered in his throat, his heart pounded heavily. It took the omega a while to get his bearings and pull himself completely out of the nightmare.

"What the fuck was that?" Levi gasped after a few moments of composing himself. He checked the clock radio on his left hand bedside table. It was after sunset. He had two hours before he needed to be ready for work. He reached for his phone, and he studied it silently for a moment, debating on whether he should listen to his instincts and call Erwin, or write it off as paranoia. Levi was, after all, a protective individual at heart. His alpha was no exception to that rule, regardless of the man's heightened strength, senses and reflexes.

He knew that if he called Erwin to check in on him, it might make him look clingy. It might give the mafia boss further reason to swell his ego, knowing that his reluctant made cared enough about him to worry.

"Tch. I'm not giving him the satisfaction," decided Levi aloud a moment later. His pride wouldn't allow for it. Erwin had told him that he would text or call later, and he seemed genuinely invested in winning Levi over. There was no need to give the man reason to slack off just because of one bad dream.

Deciding that he should shower and eat before getting ready for work, Levi got out of bed, stretched and went to his closet to pick out the day's common outfit. He wasn't going to let Erwin win by allowing his nightmare to get him worked up.

* * *

A week later on Sunday, Levi and Petra were providing elective, additional training for those that wanted it. On Sundays, the club was only open from five pm until midnight, so they had the whole place to themselves for their purposes before the doors opened. They usually tried to schedule these classes twice a month to help the other dancers improve their technique and learn a few new moves, but lately, things had been pretty tight with their schedules…not to mention, hectic. Levi hadn't heard from Erwin since the day after the man jumped him in the private dance room, nor had he seen him. Erwin hadn't texted or called, and he didn't answer either of the two texts Levi sent to him throughout the week. To combat his rising frustration and the concern he was admittedly beginning to feel, Levi had arranged this training session more to distract him than for anything else.

"Mina, you need to loosen up."

Levi came up behind the young woman, who had just returned from her time off. Petra was off to the side, working with Jenni and Brenda while he focused on Mina. Levi placed his hands on Mina's hips, resting them on top of the ruffled mini-skirt she wore. His touch was professional and yet sensual—an act that he'd perfected when performing with other dancers. He slid his left hand up to cup the side of her bare midriff, and he pressed up against her.

"Synch up with me, kid. Your problem is that you're popping your hips. You need to roll them. It's gotta be smooth."

Mina nodded, flushing a little as she pressed back against Levi and allowed him to guide her motions. "I'm sorry. You'd think I wouldn't still be so self-conscious, but I just can't seem to bring myself to _move_ the way you guys do. I wish I had half your grace."

"You've got grace," Levi corrected softly, noting the way her gyrations were already becoming more fluid. "You just lack confidence."

Mina adjusted the half-shirt she wore knotted under her breasts. "I'm trying, Levi. Maybe I just don't have what it takes."

"You seem to do fine with a partner," he observed. He cupped both of her hips again. "They're rolling pretty smoothly, now. Have you tried practicing in front of a mirror like I told you?"

Mina nodded. "Yes. I do fine at home, but when people are watching me, I tense up."

He nodded. "Don't think of them as your audience. In fact, try not to think of them at all. When you're on that stage, your goal is to seduce with your body language. Dance like you're doing it for a lover. You have all the power, Mina. People throw money at you because they like what they see. Imagine how much more you'd make if you stepped up your game a bit."

"That would be nice," she sighed.

"Maybe we should try pairing you up with Alley on the stage sometime," suggested Levi after a moment's thought. "You two get along, and you seem comfortable with each other."

"But she might not take kindly to sharing tips," Mina pointed out with a little frown.

"I think she'll sing a different tune when she sees how much green you two can pull in together. People like watching that kind of shit. Last time I did an act with Eren, we both went home with more money than either of us make in a single night...and that was just one dance. Took me two fucking showers to get all of the chocolate sauce out of my hair, but it paid my rent for a month. How about it? I'll set you two up to partner for a private dance a couple nights a week, and if you like it, we can go from there."

"Oh, I thought you meant partnering on the regular stage." Mina turned her head to look at him, blinking. "I've only ever done one private dance before."

"Because you're always so damned awkward on the stage," explained Levi. "Some guys go for that shy routine, though. Goes good with the schoolgirl getup you usually wear. It's up to you, kiddo. I'm just making the offer to give you a chance to make more cash. You might find private dancing more comfortable, since you don't see your audience while you're doing it."

He gave her a moment to think about it, sensing her mixture of interest and hesitation. Truthfully, what Levi wanted for Mina Carolina was for her to save up a nice nest egg and get the hell out of this business. Some of his dancers would probably be doing this for the remainder of their youth, and they seemed fine with that. Mina, however, was doing it for survival. She wanted to go to college. She wanted to gain a higher education and eventually get a fresh start in a new city, with a new career. She'd told Levi as much, during one of those late night conversations that sometimes sprang up between him and his dancers after work.

"I...would like to try it," she said at last. "If you really believe I can do it, then I trust you."

Levi nodded, retaining his neutral expression. They all trusted him implicitly, but only Petra and Eren knew the depth of his devotion to his fellow dancers. Levi wanted a better life for all of them, but there was only so much he could do to ensure that. The rest was up to them.

"Then tomorrow, I'll run it by Alley and see what she thinks. I think she'd make a good partner for you."

Mina smiled, and she put her hands over Levi's and gave them a squeeze. "Thanks, boss. You're too good to me."

"Tch, I'm just trying to draw in more business and cash for the club," he excused gruffly.

The smile on Mina's face didn't fade at all, hinting that she knew better.

* * *

Hange dug her keys out and searched through them for the ones that went to the locks on the club doors. Really as a captain, she shouldn't be the one coming here to collect the syndicate profit cuts, any longer. She could have—and probably should have—put the onus on one of the soldiers to take care of this. The Omega Experience had been part of their racketeering operation for long enough now that high rank involvement was no longer necessary for this task, but right now there were circumstances that required some tact. Hange also had her own reasons in addition to that; mainly concerning a certain little ginger that worked at the club.

"Ow," she complained when thoughts of Petra made her zone out enough to make her poke herself on the sharp, self-defense spike she kept on her key chain.

Shaking her head at her own hopeless infatuation, Hange adjusted her hold on the object and unlocked the doors. She nodded at the two men situated on either side of the doors inside. She'd picked these guys herself for added security when the club wasn't open for business. Hange froze in her tracks when she looked up on the largest stage and saw the object of her lust dancing in nothing but a tiny gold thong and a pair of butterfly-shaped pasties covering her nipples. Petra was gyrating up against one of the other omega females—whose name completely slipped Hange's mind. Their dance was suggestive, and both girls had their hands on one another's firm little asses.

"Oh," breathed Hange, staring raptly at the sight.

Petra either heard her exclamation over the music, or she sensed her presence. The petite ginger turned her head to look at Hange, and she smiled sweetly at her in greeting.

"Hi, Hange! Are you here to collect? I can put this on hold and—"

"No, no," interrupted Hange with a gesture and a shake of her head. She grinned. "Please, continue. I'm fine with this."

"But...your money?" Petra resumed dancing, giving Hange an uncertain look.

"The money can wait. I have time to burn."

Hange helped herself to a stool at the bar, propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her palms. She watched with rapt attention as the ginger omega demonstrated a particularly difficult-looking move on the dancing pole for her two companions. Petra then instructed them as they tried to emulate it. Hange supposed they did well enough, but neither of them had Petra's grace or delicate appeal. Not an overly picky woman when it came to body shapes, Hange found herself more and more drawn to Petra's dainty curves. In her youth, she'd been more drawn to the busty females, or on occasion, the muscular males. Now all that the science-inclined alpha female could think of was Petra.

Hange frowned a bit at that. She accepted it when she realized she was infatuated with Petra Ral, but she had presumed it would eventually level out, and she could seek her physical pleasures elsewhere. Nobody was good enough for her now, though. The last girl Hange picked up at a bar to try and find some basic relief for her needs was certainly an attractive thing, but the encounter had been purely physical and—to Hange's dismay—kind of lackluster. It was like Petra had spoiled her for others without even trying, and all they'd done together was share a heated kiss.

"So where's your boss at?" Levi asked flatly, still concentrating on schooling Mina. "Haven's seen him around for a while."

Hange wasn't fooled by the raven-haired dancer's casual tone. Try though he might, Levi wasn't as good at pretending indifference to Erwin's business as he was in the beginning. By now, she was aware of the relationship change between her boss and the exotic dancer. As far as she knew, she and Mike were the only two in the syndicate that knew the extent of Erwin's investment in Levi, but she doubted it would remain tightly under wraps for long. Nanaba was already suspicious, and Dita commented at the last meeting on how intense Erwin's interest in protecting the club and its dancers was.

Hange hid a smirk, and then she too practiced some expressive discipline as her amusement quickly dropped. Remembering Erwin's firm instructions, Hange answered in what she hoped was a casual tone of voice. "He's away on an extended business trip."

She started to say more, but she stopped herself. She had no idea how many of Levi's coworkers—if any—knew he was mated to Erwin. Hange dug through her purse, reminded of a small gift Erwin had asked her to pick up for Levi. Retrieving a pack of clove cigarettes and a lighter, she waved the former in Levi's direction like a carrot.

"Why don't you take a little break and sit down with me?" coaxed Hange, forcing herself not to look Petra's way and get distracted again. "We can take care of business and then it'll be out of the way."

Levi glanced at the pack, recognized the brand, and tilted his head. "You keeping tabs on my smoking habits?"

Hange chuckled. "Call it a small bonus for all you do to keep this club going, Levi. We all know Kenny's just the copilot, no matter what title he operates under."

Levi shrugged fluidly, and he looked to Mina. "Keep it up. I'll be back in a little while."

Leaving her to continue practicing the moves he'd been helping her with, Levi hopped nimbly down off the stage, and he collected his leather jacket from behind the bar. Slipping it on over the clingy black muscle shirt he wore, he ducked under the bar entrance and went to Hange's side. She obligingly pulled out one of the cigarettes from the pack she'd brought for him, handed it to him and lit it for him as he put it between his lips.

"So where is he really?" muttered Levi around the filter, before taking a deep drag. He regarded her with sharp, unreadable gray eyes as he turned his head a bit and blew out the fragrant smoke.

"Like I said: he's away on a business trip," she reiterated with a shrug. She smiled at Petra and thanked her when the omega female took a pause to mix Hange a quick cocktail and place it in front of her. "Nothing to worry about. He should be back within two to three weeks, I estimate. He's overseas."

Levi frowned. He nodded at Petra in silent communication, and the ginger took the hint and mixed him a drink as well, before leaving the two of them to relative privacy and getting back on the stage. Levi took a sip of his Bloody Mary, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully on Hange.

"Three fucking weeks? What's he doing, buying up diamond mines somewhere overseas? Hasn't the bastard ever heard of a fucking phone?"

Hange suppressed a wince. Levi Ackerman was possibly the only omega she'd ever met that could actually intimidate her. Those hooded eyes of his glinted like steel, predatory with carefully checked aggression. His ire wasn't directed at her though, and she knew it. She couldn't blame him for being pissed off, given the information she was feeding him.

"Listen, he hasn't called because his regular phone isn't set up to work where he is," she explained. "He had to buy a temporary one to use at his destination, and he only contacts me and Mike to check in, for security reasons. He didn't want to take any chances."

Feeling bad for the both of them when she saw the hint of dismay flicker in Levi's wintery eyes, Hange patted his knee comfortingly. "Believe me when I say Erwin would like nothing better than to talk to you right now, Levi. He's crazy about you. I've never seen him so hung up on a person before, and that includes the former love of his life."

For a brief second, Levi seemed to falter. He took another drag of his cigarette, another sip of his drink, and his gaze went to the other dancers absorbed in dancing on the stages. "No bullshit?"

Hange smiled, finding his attempts to mask his feelings cute. "No bullshit, Levi. He mentions you each time I talk to him, and I'm sure you've noticed I've increased the watch on this place since he's been absent."

"He couldn't even try emailing me?" muttered Levi, his words nearly lost in his glass.

"He's taking no chances," answered Hange.

Levi glanced sidelong at her. "So this shit—whatever he's up to—it's dangerous."

She didn't see the point in trying to sugar-coat it for him. Hange nodded. "Moderately, but he's going to be just fine."

"Tch. Idiot." Levi looked away, staring blankly at the flashing lights over the main stage. "He could have said something. Instead, he just took off and broke off contact with me."

"I was actually supposed to check in with you earlier this week," excused Hange, "so blame me, not Erwin. He...Levi? Are you okay?"

Levi had suddenly gone paler than usual, and his breath caught as he set his drink down and pressed a hand against his right ribcage. His brows twitched, and his mouth pulled tight with obvious pain.

"Levi?" Hange asked gently growing truly concerned. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head, bowing it and taking a shaken, bracing breath. "Dunno. I got a stitch in my side all the sudden. It's happened a few times this week."

"Lift up your shirt and let me see," demanded Hange, going into doctor mode. She started to do it for him, and she smacked his hands away when he tried to stop her. "You prance that cute tush around naked on the stage all the time, grumpy. I just want to have a look."

"There's nothing to see," he protested with a sigh, and yet he allowed her to lift up his shirt to examine him. "It's just a stitch, shitty-glasses."

"Hmm." Hange lightly touched the area that Levi had been clutching at. "No discoloration."

She frowned, and she looked up from her focus at Levi's pain-bleached face. She touched gently in specific areas, going by how she'd seen him react earlier. "Does it hurt when you breathe in, or when I touch here?"

"It's random," he grunted. He shoved her hands away. "Cut it out, I'm fine. Must've pulled something."

"I see."

Hange obligingly took her hands off of him, not one to push it too far despite her reputation of being reckless. She took a mental note of the site of the pain, and she nodded. "Well, I suppose we should get on with it. As much as I'd love to sit here and watch all of you darlings rubbing up against each other, I do have to be up tomorrow."

Levi rolled his shirt back down, and he hopped off the stool. "Office," he said simply, and he grabbed his gifted pack of smokes, his half-finished cigarette and his drink.

Hange grabbed her drink as well, and she followed Levi away from the common room and to the hallway leading to the office. She watched his purposeful walk, and she sighed to herself. This was not going to be as easy as presumed.

* * *

Laid up in a private hospital outside city limits, Erwin suffered through another wave of pain. Mike watched him silently, seated in the visitor's chair by the kingpen's bed. He quietly reached out for the button to trigger the morphine drip as his boss groaned and panted, knuckles white with the force of Erwin's grip on the side rails.

"Want me to call the nurse?" Mike offered softly after a moment.

Pale and sweaty, Erwin shook his head. "It's...fading. It isn't as bad as it was for the first couple of days."

The door opened, and Hange strode in holding Erwin's medical chart. Seeing as she basically ran this clinic now, she had access to her fellow syndicate member's records. "Still in some pain, Erwin?"

He nodded. "Not as severe as before, though."

"Hmm." She watched him thoughtfully, holding one page of his file lifted. She dropped the page, and she set the folder down on the food table by Erwin's bed. "I really think you should reconsider keeping this from Levi, Erwin."

"He doesn't...need to know," insisted Erwin stubbornly. "You didn't say anything to him, did you?"

"No. I covered your ass just like you told me to." She grabbed the wheeled stool typically used by doctors and nurses when checking patient vitals, sat down on it and scooted it over to Erwin's side. "He seemed to believe me well enough for now, but I don't think the excuses are going to satisfy him for much longer."

Erwin took a steadying breath, and he gazed at her with puzzled blue eyes. "Why would you say that, unless you hinted at something you shouldn't have?"

"Because he can feel your pain," explained Hange. "I think we can safely say that the question of how deeply the pair-bond is between mated alphas and omegas is now academic. When I went by the Omega Experience today to collect our cut and check in on the dancers, Levi had a moment where he suffered severe pain in the very same are of your gunshot wound. He's worried about you too, even if he tries to play it off like he's not."

"Told you this smokescreen wouldn't work," grunted Mike with a nod. The big blond crossed his arms over his broad chest and sat back, looking at his boss from beneath shaggy gold bangs. "That guy's perceptive, chief. Being mated to him has screwed you out of whatever advantage you might have had in blowing smoke up his ass."

Erwin ignored Mike's observation. He spoke to Hange, concerned now for Levi's well-being. "Is he all right?"

"He's fine," she assured him. "Feisty as ever. I looked him over and I can only conclude that what he was feeling was basically phantom pain. It happened at one twenty-seven."

Mike's brows went up. "That's about when you had your last pain attack before this recent one, Erwin."

"I wasn't making note of the time," said Erwin tightly. "Whether Levi's discomfort is truly because of our pair-bond or simply a coincidence, I still don't want him to know about this incident. He has enough to worry about as is. Do I make myself clear to you both?"

Hange sighed, but she nodded. "Of course. I think you're making a mistake, but I'll keep sticking with the lies."

Mike grunted. "You're going to be in deep shit if he finds out, but you know I won't say anything."

Erwin smirked at the other blond alpha. "You almost sound as though Levi intimidates you, Mike."

Mike shrugged. "I could fit the guy in my pocket, but I wouldn't fuck with him."

Hange chuckled. "You really picked yourself out a firecracker, Erwin. Levi is _definitely_ not prone to typical omega meekness."

"Agreed."

Erwin smiled, proud of his mate's capability even if it did mean he was going to be a massive handful for as long as they both lived. He knew now that those unique qualities in Levi were what ultimately made him the ideal mate for a man like himself. He'd had time to reflect on his actions since getting wounded in that unfortunate clash between his syndicate and the smaller one he'd been personally trying to negotiate with. Erwin had never considered taking a life mate before he met Levi, and he was sure he never would have if not for meeting the enigmatic, strong-willed dancer. Levi had just what he needed in a mate: a partner that wouldn't take any bullshit and wasn't afraid to call him out. To other alphas, that might be an unattractive set of qualities in an omega, but for Erwin they were what made Levi Ackerman an exception to his rule to stay single.

"I'm glad I never bonded with Marie," he muttered, more to himself than to his companions.

"Boy, you've really got it bad," Hange said with a grin, "but onto other subjects. I've got an update for you about our evasive friends that put you in here."

Erwin nodded, sobering. When the shootout occurred, two of the men in the rival group escaped. Due to the bullet that got lodged in Erwin's ribs, he and his cohorts had no option to pursue them as they fled the scene. Having honored the code not to come to a parlay meeting packing, he and his men weren't initially armed, so returning fire right away hadn't been an option. He still didn't know how those rival syndicate members managed to sneak in guns when everyone got patted down before attending the meeting, and it happened so fast that it was frankly a miracle he was the only one to get shot. Mikasa actually saved the day with her lightning reflexes and quick actions. She closed the distance between the two groups and took down two of them with her combat skills, while Oluo dashed out the door, retrieved a couple of the guns they'd left in the arms box and came back in shooting. After that, Erwin had lost consciousness, and his people decided it was more important to get him medical attention than to try and chase down the two remaining enemies.

"Go on," Erwin prompted.

"Connie found out where they've been hiding out," obliged Hange. "He just called me while I was on my way here, and he's waiting with Nanaba and the new girl for your instructions. I probably should have mentioned that first, now that I think of it."

Erwin forgave her. Hange was a romantic at heart, even if she tried not to indulge in emotional relationships herself. It made sense that she would tell him about Levi before bringing up the news of the shooters.

"I don't want them killed," Erwin decided after a moment's thought. "Not yet. We've already established that their syndicate has ties to Pinchet. It's highly probable that he ordered the attack against us in the hopes that it would rid him of an obstacle to those dancers."

"You really think he's that hung up on it?" Mike asked. "Seems like a lot of trouble for one profit loss."

"It isn't just one simple profit loss," countered Erwin, looking at his underboss. "Think about it, Mike. How much money could someone make in the flesh trade with a harem of attractive omegas at their disposal? They are a rare type, and to have that many in his grasp to use as sex slaves would have easily made Oswald the richest kingpen in the world."

Hange nodded in agreement. "Hitch and Brenda make a grand per blowjob, now that Kenny's not taking half their profit for sexual favors."

Mike whistled. "Didn't know that. How much does the club get out of it when they on jobs like that?"

"It depends on the act." Hange shrugged. "The club gets a fourth of what the clients pay for. The girls charge fifteen-hundred for oral sex, two grand for vaginal intercourse and twenty-five hundred for anal. Those are just the flat rates. If a client wants to do something kinky and the girl's willing to comply, it can be at least a couple hundred extra. Put private dances on top of that, and do the math. Haven't you noticed all the extra green lining our wallets since Erwin bought that place?"

"Sure, but leave the finances up to Nanaba. I don't ask where my pay comes from."

"You should be more aware of these things," scolded Erwin. "You're my right-hand man, Mike. I need you to be on top of the dealings of this syndicate, especially while I'm recovering. You can't just leave it all to our captains and call it a day. The boss has to be aware of everything going on in his family at all times."

Mike grimaced a bit at the admonishment. "Yeah, I know. Sorry, chief. I got used to you doing all that and I guess I forgot you aren't invincible."

"So long as you revise how you're handling things, I trust in your abilities." Erwin turned his attention to Hange again. "Have Nanaba and the others apprehend our friends and interrogate them. They have my approval to use whatever means necessary to get information out of them. As for the club, I want you to personally check in each day. Make sure Levi is eating well, would you?"

Hange snorted. "What am I, his nutritionist? He's a grown man, Erwin. Judging by that physique of his, I'd say he's eating healthy enough."

"Even so, remind him for me," insisted Erwin. "Levi has a habit of skipping meals from time to time. His schedule is almost as full as mine, from day to day."

"Busy little bee, isn't he?" Hange grinned. "You two really are perfect for each other."

Erwin closed his eyes. Yes, they were. He just had to fully convince Levi of that. His goal to do so would take even longer to reach now, thanks to his injury and the need to keep it a secret. Maybe the vampire was right: Erwin was becoming too predictable. Clearly his status as the most powerful kingpen in Trost wasn't enough to deter the ambitious from crossing him. He was going to have to step up his game, be more cunning, more ruthless and more observant than ever before. First, though, he needed to regain his strength and heal.

Hange reached out to ruffle Erwin's hair gently as the mafia boss started to drift off. "Get some rest, big guy. We'll take care of everything. Hopefully your grumpy little dancer won't catch on to what's really happening before you can be discharged from here."

* * *

Armin couldn't help but notice that Eren seemed distracted. The omega had the night off, and he'd come over to Armin's place to take advantage of his free time and get more tutoring. His heart didn't really seem into it though, and Armin was getting concerned that something was wrong.

"Eren, what is it?"

Armin watched the dancer with curious blue eyes as Eren seemed to struggle inwardly with something. He looked like there was something that he wanted to say, and Armin was stricken by a sudden fear that Eren was about to tell him he no longer needed lessons and couldn't hang out with him anymore. His heart sank at the prospect. He really, really liked Eren Jaeger; probably more than was good for him. Strip clubs had never been venues that Armin typically frequented, but whenever he knew Eren would be dancing, he found himself going to The Omega Experience at least twice per week after finishing up grading his students' work assignments and tests. He knew that if anyone spotted him going into such a place and it got back to the school board, he would probably be fired.

Still, Armin couldn't help himself. He had an excuse prepared of course, just in case he was ever approached by a board member about it. He wouldn't be necessarily lying, either. He planned to explain that he'd met one of the dancers and found out that many of them didn't know how to read or write, so he sometimes met up with them to tutor them. Most of the time like today, Eren came over to his house for private lessons. Armin cherished those moments with the omega—who was far too attractive for his own good. Currently, they were enjoying a little break on the couch together and sipping at some hot chocolate Armin had prepared. Eren's sweet tooth was frankly adorable.

"I..." Eren sighed, and he lowered his bright, green-gold eyes to stare at the mug in his right hand. "I don't know how to say this. I'm really awful at coming up with the right words."

Armin swallowed his dread, and he reached across the distance to place his free hand gently over Eren's tanner one, resting on the omega's knee. "Whatever it is, you can tell me." Armin smiled encouragingly at him, trying his best not to let his anxiety show. "I'm your friend, Eren."

Eren lifted his gaze to meet Armin's. "Yeah, you are. You're a really _good_ friend, and I don't want to screw that up. You...like me, don't you Armin?"

Armin felt his face heat up. Perhaps he was imagining it, but the way Eren phrased it made him wonder if he'd figured out his attraction to him. "Of course I like you," he answered. "I like all of the dancers, and I'm very proud of you, Ally and Mina for coming as far as you have with your literary improvements."

Eren favored him with that shy smile of his. One would never guess the man took his clothes off and gyrated for people's viewing pleasure for a living. While bold and confident on the stage, Eren was endearingly bashful and modest in social situations. "We couldn't have gotten so far, if it weren't for your help."

Eren turned his hand over beneath Armin's, and he squeezed the blond's hand gently. He sighed, staring at the teacher with that thoughtful, wary expression again. "Here's the thing; I really like you too. I mean...I...hah, damn it!"

Armin's blue gaze saddened on him, and he guessed what Eren was trying to say. "It's okay, Eren. I understand. You like me, but you can't hang out with my anymore, is that it? Mikasa thinks we're too close and she isn't comfortable with it."

Eren blinked at him. "No! That's not it at all! In fact, it's the opposite of...oh, here. I'm better at acting than I am at talking."

With that said, Eren leaned in and covered Armin's mouth with his own.

Shocked stupid by the unexpected kiss, Armin's body locked up for a moment as his brain tried to process what was happening. Eren's tongue delicately caressed the crease between the blond's lips, and that snapped him out of his stupor. Armin reacted without thought, putting his arms around his companion to embrace him. He parted his lips, and he plunged his tongue into Eren's mouth immediately, plundering it with starving lust. His own aggression startled Armin, but he was helpless to control it. He'd been struggling with guilty fantasies about this happening, wondering what it would be like but not daring to hope it would ever become a reality. Eren didn't seem to mind his aggression. The dancer put his mug aside, and he embraced Armin back. He allowed the beta male to lead the kiss, his tongue gently and sensually stroking Armin's, encouraging him silently.

Armin's right hand slipped down to rest on Eren's knee, and it started to slide up his thigh as if it had a mind of its own. With some effort, Armin stopped himself from outright groping Eren's package. That was certainly no way to behave during a first kiss. He had to remember to be a gentleman and not spoil the moment.

For how long they remained lip-locked, exploring one another's mouths, Armin couldn't say. It seemed to go on and on, yet it ended all too soon for his liking. He was breathing heavily when Eren pulled away to gaze at him, and Armin marveled at the golden starburst surrounding each of Eren's pupils, complimenting the emerald green of his eyes. He was probably the only person Armin knew whose eyes changed colors like that—usually in moments of heightened emotion.

"You are so beautiful," breathed Armin thoughtlessly. He blushed at his own ardent proclamation, immediately hating himself for just blurting it out like that. Just one kiss was all it took to turn his brain to mush, apparently.

Eren just smiled handsomely at him, evidently flattered rather than repelled by the compliment. "Back at you." He was breathing fast as well. "You're also a great kisser."

"Am I?" Armin wasn't so sure about that. "I didn't even try to practice any technique. I was just so surprised, all I could do was react. I thought I just slobbered all over you."

Eren laughed softly, shaking his head. "No, it was passionate. You kissed me like you wanted to devour me whole, and that's a big turn-on for me. Sometimes instincts are better than trying to follow some plotted out technique. Trust me, you're good."

Eren smirked down at the crotch of his jeans. "Don't believe me? Just ask this guy."

Armin chuckled bashfully as Eren squirmed, trying to adjust his now bulging package without being lewd about it. He could relate. He felt like the button on his trousers might soon pop from the strain. "I'm glad I could provoke the same reaction in you as you did with me."

"I nearly came in my pants," confessed Eren, and then he winced. "Uh, I mean...something less crude. Sorry."

"It's okay," soothed Armin with a smile. "Coming from you, it doesn't sound crude to me. It sounds...sexy."

Eren sobered, and he started to close in for another kiss. Armin's rational mind came back just in time, and he gently stopped the omega's advance. "Wait a moment. What about Mikasa? What did you mean earlier about it being the opposite, when I thought she didn't want you hanging out with me any more?"

Eren looked faintly disappointed over being denied another kiss, but he seemed to brush it off quickly. "I mean Mikasa is okay with this. With you and me, that is. She actually encouraged me to make a move."

Armin's eyes went wide. "Really? I...can't imagine her being the sort of person that would be willing to share her lover. Are you sure you didn't just misunderstand her, Eren? I don't want to cross a line I shouldn't cross."

"Armin, she flat-out told me to go for it." Eren took the blond's hands in his and he squeezed them. "She said you're the only person she'd ever be willing to share me with, and she knew I had a flame for you even when I was trying to write it off as a phase. She misses you, Armin. I know it's been hard to cope with, finding out what she is. I know it's scary, but she's one of your oldest and best friends. Please, patch things up with her. We'd all be much happier if you did, and this thing between us will work a lot smoother if you two are on speaking terms."

Armin lowered his gaze, and he bit his lip. "Truthfully Eren, it isn't her. It's me."

Eren cocked his head inquisitively. "What do you mean?"

The blond sighed, and he met his friend's curious gaze. "I'm embarrassed."

Eren blinked slowly. "You are? Why?"

"Because of the way I reacted," explained Armin. He smirked ruefully. "If anyone had asked me how I would respond to finding out my best friend is a mythological creature, I would like to have thought I would approach it with logic and reasoning. Instead, I turned into a screaming child and passed out from fear."

Eren smiled gently at him. "Well, don't do that to yourself. It was a big shock, Armin. If it makes you feel any better, I literally ran away screaming when I found out about Levi."

Armin gave the other young man a hesitant smile, finding it hard to believe that Eren Jaeger would do such a thing. He always seemed more brave than was sensible, and that tended to make Armin worry for his safety. "You did?"

Eren nodded. "Totally. I've never run so fucking fast in my life. Levi had to chase me down a few blocks, and we're talking _vampire_ speed, here. He didn't catch up to me until I was too winded to keep outrunning him. It's amazing I didn't pass out."

Remembering Levi describing something of the same, Armin's smile widened. So, Levi hadn't been exaggerating. He'd wondered if the man embellished a bit. "I see."

"So you don't have any reason to be embarrassed," insisted Eren. "Mikasa understands why you reacted that way. I probably would have been right there screaming with you, if I didn't already suspect it. I also had the benefit of knowing another vampire and getting used to it."

"She could have killed you," whispered Armin, his smile dropping into a frown at the memory of watching Mikasa feed on the dancer.

"She didn't." Eren gave the blond's hand another squeeze. "She was acting on instinct, Armin. She already feels bad enough about it. Don't make her lose her best friend, I'm begging you. Call her up and work things out, for all our sakes. You don't really want to ditch her as a friend, do you?"

Armin shook his head. "No," he admitted softly. "I don't want to lose her friendship. I miss her, too. I just...I don't know how to apologize for my behavior. Mikasa has always been introverted, and I can only imagine how much it must have hurt her to see me freak out like that."

"I think it would hurt her more if you let this ruin your relationship," surmised Eren. "Call her. I think if the two of you just sat down face-to-face and had a good talk, everything would work itself out. You just have to be willing to make a move."

Armin breathed a heavy sigh, and he nodded. "Okay. I'll prepare myself to grovel."

Eren laughed softly at that, obviously relieved.

* * *

-To be continued


	15. Chapter 15

Levi was stewing. Three more days had passed since Hange collected the syndicate's cut of the profits, and he still hadn't heard personally from Erwin. He couldn't decide if he was angrier at his alpha for making him worry, or at himself for being worried at all. Levi was _not_ a clingy omega by any means, so this chilling feeling of dread and desperation was something new to him. Hell, he'd never even been in a serious, long-term relationship with another person before. He didn't know how to cope with it. He felt it was a weakness, this pressing need to reassure himself that his significant other was still interested in him and safe. The odd, unexplained pains he'd been experiencing were slowly but steadily dying down. He wondered if he was losing his mind.

Hange had come by every day since collecting profits, checking in on the club and assuring Levi that Erwin was just fine and should be able to contact or see him within a couple of weeks. She also started harping on him about his eating habits—a thing which she informed she'd been directly ordered to do. That annoyed Levi, even as it gave him an unwanted feeling of warmth. Erwin was worried about him. Even though he couldn't directly contact him, the alpha wanted to make sure Levi was getting enough nutrition. Obviously, he hadn't told Hange what sort of nutrition Levi required, but hearing that he'd told her to remind him to eat prompted Levi to take advantage of the blood supply Erwin had left for him. He might have forgotten all about it, if not for Hange's prodding.

Seeing as there was nothing else he could really do, Levi bided his time and kept his strength up. He was started to get restless, his body craving his alpha's touch. He'd masturbated for the first time since he last saw Erwin, doing his best to ease the nagging desires he felt. When Hange showed up right on time at day three, Levi gave Alley his next scheduled stage spot and he practically dragged Hange into the office with him.

"This is ridiculous," he snapped at her, slamming the door shut behind him.

"What is?" Hange blinked owlishly at him, the very picture of ignorance.

"Don't play dumb, shitty-glasses. You know what I mean. Erwin's resourceful, and if he really wanted to, he could find a way to call me without putting me at risk." Levi stepped closer to the alpha female, sizing her up. "There's something you're not telling me. It's not adding up."

"Dear, you're just frustrated," she excused. Her wine-colored gaze softened on him with fond sympathy. For some reason, Hange seemed to have gotten attached to him. Why, Levi couldn't imagine. He hadn't exactly shown her much of his good side, slim as it might be.

"Damned right, I'm frustrated," he snarled. Levi stuck his hands in his jean pockets, and he practically sulked. He hadn't even dressed in a stage outfit yet. He was still in his common clothing. "Oi, I get it that there are things you're not supposed to tell people that aren't in your gang. I'm sure Erwin has you on some kind of a gag order, but I know _something's_ up. Spit it out."

She faltered, and for a moment, she was so obviously desperate for a way out that Levi wondered if her head was about to explode. Hange sighed, and she lowered her gaze. "You don't know what you're asking of me, shrimp."

Levi growled low in his throat, and he stepped closer to her. His silvery gaze sparked with frustration as he ducked a little and met her lowered eyes, forcing her to look at him. "He did this to me. He turned me into this needy piece of shit you see in front of you. I passed by a sporting goods store on the way to work tonight and when I saw a bat sitting in the window display, all I could think of was Erwin's dick. I'm seeing it everywere now. Anything even vaguely phallus-shaped has me daydreaming about that asshole's junk."

Hange compressed her lips, and then she turned her head and blew spittle as she laughed. She covered her mouth with one hand to contain the spray, her shoulders shaking with mirth.

"It's not funny, asshole," warned Levi.

"I'm...I'm sorry," she managed after taking a moment to recover. "You poor baby. Seeing dicks everywhere you look. I warned him this might happen."

"If you really give a damn, help me fix it," he needled. "What's really going on here, Hange? What is he trying to keep from me?"

She sobered, and Hange seemed to weigh her options, her quick mind turning so hard Levi could imagine gears grinding in her head. "Esther Memorial," she finally said, meeting his gaze with resolve. "Room 17-C. You didn't hear it from me."

Levi frowned, and he mouthed the information she'd given him before answering. "Is that a hospital?"

Hange then took him completely by surprise. She reached out, grabbed the collar of Levi's black, button-up shirt and fisted her hand around it. She leaned in to speak to him in a dangerous voice that Levi had never heard from her, and her eyes seemed back-lit with crimson.

"You did _not_ hear it from me," she said through her teeth.

The reminder that this woman was an alpha female came to Levi in a rush. Hange, like Ymir and Mikasa, was a rare type. Alpha women were even less common than omegas, and the one thing all sources agreed upon concerning their nature was that they were a dangerous type to fuck with. Against his will, Levi found himself feeling oddly subdued by her unexpected aggression.

"I didn't hear what?" he asked, keeping his cool.

Hange relaxed her hold on his shirt, and she smoothed it out gently. Her demeanor softened, and she smiled at him. "Nothing, my dear. Keep it that way, and good luck."

"I can take care of myself," he groused.

"Oh, I meant good luck to Erwin." Hange winked at him.

Levi almost smiled. Hange really wasn't bad. This little moment between them served to boost his respect for her more than he intended to let her know. "I'll look into it."

Deciding that his personal need for closure was more important than a couple of dance shifts, Levi went to his computer and clocked himself out. He started for the door, and then he stopped and looked back at Hange upon sudden inspiration.

"Hey four-eyes..."

"Hmm?" Hange smiled politely at him, inquisitive.

"Quit beating around the bush. If you want her, just go for it. I'm getting tired of seeing you two eye-fuck each other all the time."

Hange flushed, obviously getting the reference. Still, she pretended ignorance. "Enlighten me."

Levi rolled his eyes. "You idiot. Stop cock-blocking yourself. You'd be doing both you and Petra a huge favor."

He left it at that, figuring he'd made his point clearly enough. Besides, he had an overly handsome blond alpha to chew out.

* * *

Hange stood stock-still as she watched the office door slam shut behind Levi. No, his statement was not lost on her. She just hadn't been prepared to hear about how obvious her frustration was. Levi was more perceptive than average though, so she hoped he was the only one besides Mike and Erwin to know just how deeply frustrated she was. Petra was off tonight. Hange had almost felt relief to realize that when she came by to do her daily duty of checking in on everyone. Now she felt an explosion of butterflies in her stomach, and a thrill went through her at the thoughts that began churning in her mind.

"I can't do that," Hange whispered, her voice practically drowned out by the sound of the pop music blaring from the common room. She recognized the song as one of Hitch's favorites, and she reckoned the little blonde girl was probably on the stage twerking to it.

Even as she protested herself, however, she kept clinging to thoughts of showing up at Petra Ral's little townhouse, grabbing the girl by the shoulders and laying a big wet one on her. Hange already knew where Petra lived, and she sometimes had people check by to make sure Petra made it home and unmolested from a shift.

"Damn it," hissed Hange, grimacing. She was already overly protective of Petra. She _really_ didn't need additional cause for more. She already felt like a stalker, and she told herself that it was all strictly for good intentions. She couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to Petra, and after the night when that guy insulted the ginger, Hange couldn't sleep well without having some reassurance that the girl was safe and sound.

She tapped her finger against her chin in thought, carrying on a mental conversation with herself. Always one to be honest with herself, Hange admitted that she was scared as hell. She absently fished out her key chain from her jacket pocket, having the sense to lock the office behind her as she left. Ymir was no longer on guard duty since they'd repaired the door and replaced the locks. In fact, she was getting more work from Erwin these days.

Barely watching where she was going, Hange slowly made her way to the club exit, her mind completely focused on whether it would end in happiness or disaster for her to take Levi's advice.

* * *

Erwin was rudely awoken from his doze by a hand forcibly gripping his hair by the roots. He groaned in confusion, cracking his eyes open. He was about to say that was no way for hospital staff to treat their patients, but when he found himself looking into a pair of familiar, hooded gray eyes, the words died on his lips. Instead of an admonishment, he spoke the name of the owner of those eyes with blatant puzzlement.

"Levi?"

His omega loomed in closer, narrowing his gaze on Erwin and compressing his lips. "I thought we had an agreement," he said tonelessly, and he shook Erwin's head like a rag-doll. "I told you I don't need to know every detail of your work and I understand some things have to stay in your fucking 'circle', but taking a bullet and getting laid up in the hospital is something you shouldn't fucking keep from me."

At a complete loss, Erwin could only wince at the tug on his hair and stare at Levi.

"What, no excuses?" pressed Levi, showing milky-white teeth. "You're not gonna try to smooth-talk your way out of this one?"

"You've barely given me the chance," defended Erwin, at last finding his voice.

Levi released him with an annoyed click of his tongue. The dancer plopped down on the side of the bed, folding his arms over his chest. "I'm listening."

Erwin took a moment to collect himself, finding Levi's sulking inappropriately cute even though it didn't bode well for him. He adjusted his bed, raising the head of it so that he could sit up. "Levi, I wasn't trying to insult you with my secrecy. I kept it from you because you already have enough on your mind. How did you find out, by the way?"

The omega glanced at him sidelong, his eyes flashing silver with annoyance. "I researched. Had a feeling I was getting some smoke blown up my ass, so I took advantage of internet searches and found out you got admitted here with a gunshot wound."

Erwin frowned. He had a difficult time believing it was really that simple, due to this clinic being a high-dollar private facility. Levi wasn't prone to making up stories though. He could only think of one subordinate that might break his trust and inform Levi of the truth, but even Hange had enough sense to respect his wishes in such matters, most of the time. Erwin started to smile at the thought of how much work it must have taken for his omega to look up that information. Gruff as Levi might be, this was a clear sign that he was falling for him as hard as Erwin had fallen for Levi.

"What are you smirking about, you creep?" demanded Levi crossly.

"I'm glad to know my mate cared enough to go through all the trouble," answered the blond, still smiling. "You were that worried, were you?"

"Tch. Stop being so smug." Levi's self-hugging posture tightened, his back going straighter with dignified tension. "You pair-bonded with me even though you knew I wasn't ready for the commitment, and then you neglected me. You do realize that omegas crave their alpha's body once we're mated to one, right? I've been having fucking withdrawals, and all because you're too damned proud to be honest with me. The only thing that makes any of this better is the fact that I would have sensed it if you were dead. Knowing you're alive and hurt somewhere has been a real bitch on me. I've been getting pains in my side since you vanished, and at least now I know why. I ought to kick you square in the balls for this, Smith."

Erwin fought a grimace. He'd been told Levi was suffering sympathy pains, but he hadn't counted on them being bad enough to overtly interfere with the dancer's life. He reached out to lay a big hand over one of Levi's clenched ones, pulling his folded arm free in an attempt to sooth him.

"I'm very sorry, Levi. I'm as new to this as you are, and yes, I will admit I was selfish when you had your heat. I saw an opportunity to achieve something I wanted badly, and I was only thinking of myself. If you'll let me, I would like to make up for that."

"How about making up for flat-out lying to me?" persisted Levi tightly. "I could probably forgive the rest with time, but that shit's unacceptable."

Erwin's jaw tightened. His first reaction was to defend himself and remind Levi that his business was his own, but that wasn't the way to go about winning this omega over. He had to change the way he normally dealt with people, when it came to Levi. He couldn't afford to treat the exotic dancer like an ordinary business partner or investment.

"I will try to treat you with more courtesy," Erwin finally said, choosing his words carefully. He squeezed Levi's tense hand. "I've never been in a relationship like this one before. Please be patient with me. I acted out of habit, rather than thinking it through."

Levi seemed to consider his words, and he leaned closer to speak in a soft, warning tone. "I'm going to let this one slide, shithead...only because you need your rest. You get a pass this time, but don't let it happen again."

Erwin smiled as the smaller man straddled him smoothly, apparently not even needing to think about it. He put his hands on Levi's hips. Even on pain killers with lingering soreness from his injury, the alpha could appreciate the feel of his volatile little mate sitting on him.

"Do you know what I enjoy the most about you, Levi?"

Levi shrugged. "Can't be my sunny demeanor."

Erwin chuckled softly. He slipped his hands up under the omega's cobalt tinted sweater, running his palms over his smooth skin. "I always know where I stand with you. I'm never left to wonder."

Levi gave a soft sigh when Erwin located his nipples beneath his sweater and gently fondled them. The alpha suppressed a smug grin at the way his mate's eyes lost focus. Erwin loved how sensitive Levi's body was to the touch, particularly this area.

"You're pushing it, Smith," warned Levi in a whisper. His hips began to slowly gyrate of their own accord, rubbing his growing crotch against Erwin's. "I don't think I'm supposed to be fucking you in your condition, so knock it off."

"I've regained a lot of my strength," assured Erwin. "I just need to avoid vigorous activities for a while."

Levi cracked an eye open to give him an ironic look, his thin brow lifting a bit. "And you don't think sex counts as a 'vigorous activity'? You're being deliberately ignorant of your own boning skills, blondie."

That made Erwin laugh outright. God, he loved how uncensored Levi was, and he knew that the omega wasn't just paying him lip service to stroke his ego. Levi only gave compliments when they were good and warranted. Erwin slid his left hand down to trace the smaller man's navel, and then he started fiddling with Levi's fly.

"Oi, I said to knock it off," reminded Levi in an unsteady voice. He bit his lip as Erwin cupped the bulge between his thighs to give it a loving squeeze. "Someone could fucking walk in on us, creep."

"Not if you lock the door," countered Erwin softly.

Levi opened both eyes, and there was a flash of intrigue in them. "It locks? Really?"

"Patients at this center are granted certain liberties that you won't find in ordinary hospitals," explained Erwin. "One of which is greater privacy. I can call for a nurse if needed. They won't disturb us if the door is locked, Levi."

Levi seemed to consider it, and his eyes fluttered shut again as Erwin tweaked his tender nipples, making them harden completely. "Fuck..."

"Lock the door, lover," insisted Erwin. "I have some things to make up to you for. Perhaps a few orgasms will encourage forgiveness from you."

"You...conniving bastard," gasped Levi, blushing charmingly in response to the pleasure Erwin was giving him. "Think it's that easy, do you?"

"With you? Not at all." Erwin smirked at him. "But I would venture a guess that making you come would be a good first step."

A tiny whimper blessed the omega's lips. Not even Levi Ackerman could ignore his omega urges, and Erwin knew just how to coax them to fruition. He slid his free hand back under the dancer's shirt, and he strummed his pebbled nipples with practiced care. He listened to the way Levi's breath caught, and he began to roll his hips to match Levi's restless gyrations.

"Lock the door," urged Erwin once more, his voice husky with his own increasing mating urges.

He saw and recognized it when his sensual little mate lost the battle of self-control. Levi's mask of indifference slipped entirely, and the gray of his eyes was back-lit with that preternatural glow. He eased off of Erwin, keeping his eyes affixed on the blond as he walked backwards toward the door. The lock tumbled into place with a click, and then Levi stalked back over to the bed with erotic promise in his gaze.

"I'll try to go easy on you," vowed the omega in a purr.

* * *

Nanaba watched her companion from the corner of her eye as she and Mike approached Erwin's hospital room. It was difficult to judge how the powerfully built blond man felt about the report she'd given him concerning the two prisoners she'd taken with the help of her associates. Mike was never one to react very strongly under any circumstances. Like Erwin, he kept his emotions carefully reined in, and he rarely demonstrated anger or angst in front of others.

"It's locked," announced Mike after trying to twist the door handle to let them into the hospital room.

"Oh?" Nanaba tried the door as well, though she had no reason to disbelieve him. "That's strange. Maybe we should try calling him. It could be unintentional."

Mike nodded and started to reach into his coat pocket for his phone, but he suddenly paused and sniffed the air. "Wait. Belay that."

"What, calling him?" Nanaba frowned. "He needs to know what we found out, Mike."

"Not right now," insisted the alpha male. He started to smirk, and he huffed a soft laugh through his nose. "Definitely not now."

Nanaba was about to demand to know exactly what he was trying to hint at, but then she heard a husky moan from the other side of the door. Realizing the sound hadn't come from their boss, she looked up at Mike with wide eyes.

"Is he...?" She couldn't finish the sentence. By now, she and the other captains all knew that the boss had more than a casual investment in a certain black-haired dancer, and upon hearing another moan of pleasure, she got confirmation that Erwin was definitely not alone in there.

"Looks like Erwin's smokescreen failed him," stated Mike, still smirking. "Told him it wouldn't hold up. This isn't the way I expected Ackerman to react to finding out the truth, though."

Nanaba sighed. Sometimes it just wasn't fair to her, how easily some of her associates got laid without even seeming to try. She'd been trying to get down Mike's pants for a year now. Hearing Levi call Erwin's name in a hoarse voice, Nanaba flushed more deeply. Levi sounded like he was having a very good time.

"What a way to make up for lying to someone," she muttered, envying the couple.

"Come on," urged Mike. "Sounds like they'll be at it for a while. I'll shoot Erwin a text and he can call me for the report details when he's finished."

Nanaba gave him a nod of agreement. Knowing a thing or two about alpha stamina, she imagined it could be nightfall by the time their boss came up for air to phone Mike. Levi was one lucky little shit.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Nanaba, Levi was thinking along similar lines as she was. He'd already had two deliciously intense orgasms while riding his mate, and Erwin just kept going. At first, Levi wondered if he just couldn't get off because of the medication they had him on, but in between his first and second climax, Erwin spurted inside of him with a growling oath. Satisfied that his partner was getting as much out of this encounter as he was, Levi kept steadily undulating on top of him. He had complete control of the situation. Erwin was doing everything Levi wanted of him, and then some. His calloused hands and fingers caressed, fondled and teased every erotic zone of Levi's body. His mouth assisted Erwin's determined efforts, sucking and licking at Levi's nipples without mercy.

"Shit," panted the omega, feeling that telling heat coil up in his pelvis again. He stroked Erwin's golden, sweat-dampened hair, watching as his alpha switched from pleasuring his right nipple to giving the left the same treatment. "Again...Erwin...fuck!"

It was then that Levi lost control over the situation. He just couldn't maintain dominance of it any longer...not with his body being wracked with such pleasure. He tilted his head back, letting his mouth fall open to reveal his elongated fangs. He shuddered helplessly, digging his short-trimmed nails into his companion's broad shoulders. His cock bucked sporadically in his mate's stroking hand, painting Erwin's hospital gown with more spunk.

Breathless and dazed, Levi bowed his head and laid his cheek on the crown of Erwin's head. Never before had he enjoyed being so fucking helpless. He almost wished Erwin would go into a rut, but if that happened, they'd probably end up fucking until sunrise.

* * *

Erwin tilted his head back to look at Levi with brightly intense blue eyes, studying the omega's flushed face.

"You are so damned stunning," husked the alpha after a moment. He stopped fondling Levi's spent groin, and he reached up to trace the dancer's parted lips. "I think I would do this to you just to watch that expression on your face, Levi."

"I'm tempted to just take your dick with me when I leave," gasped Levi candidly.

Erwin laughed, un-offended by the brutal statement. "I don't think it would perform as well for you without me attached to it. I'd be happy to purchase a dildo for you, if you're getting that frustrated."

"Nah, you're right," wheezed the omega. He gave Erwin a lingering, sweet kiss that made the blond's heart skip a beat. "It feels so good because the guy it's connected to knows how the hell to use it. A vibrator wouldn't be enough for me now, you asshole."

"So romantic," stated Erwin dryly.

Levi shrugged, and he combed his fingers through Erwin's mussed hair. "If you wanted a poet, you wouldn't be with me. Like you said; I don't embellish my words."

Erwin gave the smaller man's chin a gentle pinch, in love with the nearly delicate shape of it. Levi was just so damned cute, from the angle of his jaw to his little boop nose. "I've never been so attracted to anyone," he confessed softly. He didn't even mind that they'd stopped before he reached his second orgasm. That little kiss Levi had bestowed on him was worth a thousand climaxes to him.

"Do you really just make this shit up on your own?" questioned Levi, "or do you have some kind of speech writer like a politician?"

"Levi, half of the time I don't even know what I'm saying around you." Erwin put his arms around the omega's nude form, and he sat up with a slight grunt of discomfort to embrace him firmly. "Sappy though you may think I am, you just bring it out in me."

"Tch. Guess I've heard worse." Levi's chest was still rising and falling rapidly against Erwin's cheek, glistening with perspiration. "You get a pass for saying whatever dumb crap comes barreling out of your mouth, if you keep fucking me like that."

Erwin laughed again, and the action caused his injured side to cramp up. His amusement faded into pain and he sucked in a harsh breath, attempting to power through the stitch. Levi also tensed, and his fingers curled into Erwin's hair.

"Easy," advised the omega, his voice sounding tight. "Slow, shallow breaths. I fucking knew this was a mistake..."

Erwin shook his head. "No...mistake," he insisted, pressing his face between Levi's toned, perfect pectoral muscles. "Best medicine...I've ever had."

"You're crazy, you know that?" Levi stroked his hair, his gentle touch contradicting the harshness of his tone of voice. "Bet your doctor would tear both of us a new one if they find out about this. I shouldn't have thought with my crotch."

"I've no complaints," assured Erwin with a sigh.

He started to soften within his mate, his libido stolen away by the discomfort. Still, the intimacy of them being joined together was fantastic, and he wanted the moment to last for as long as it could. He kissed Levi's chest, enjoying the velvety feel of his bare skin against his lips. Erwin then remembered what Levi's schedule was supposed to be like this week, and he pulled back to look at his face.

"Aren't you supposed to have a dancing shift right now?"

Levi compressed his lips. "Is that all you can think of? I blew off my shift to come and see you, and you're worried about my schedule?"

"I just know how important it is to you," excused Erwin. Each shift Levi missed meant more time indebted to Kenny, and while that might work out well for business purposes and profit, it seemed unfair to Levi. Erwin knew that his mate didn't want to spend the rest of his life taking his clothes off for other people's viewing pleasure. He thought of all the things Levi could potentially do with his impressive skill sets, thought of what he could accomplish. It didn't sit well with him, and Erwin's ability to keep himself emotionally detached from his mate's plight was steadily evaporating.

"What's with that look?" demanded Levi, tilting his head. "You've got that contemplative face again."

"I simply feel bad for cutting into your personal time."

Levi sighed. "I can afford to miss a few stage performances. It's not going to make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things."

"But—"

Levi pressed his fingers against Erwin's mouth to still his protests, and his pale gaze intensified on him. "Your dick is still inside me. Let's not focus on things like that right now. I'm here with you because I _want_ to be."

Erwin's brain froze at that admission. He couldn't stop staring at his feisty little mate, and it dawned on him that he was well and truly head-over-heals in love with Levi now. What had started out as almost obsessive desire had become a deep, abiding devotion for this unpredictable creature. He very nearly said so out loud, but he didn't want to push his luck. Levi could only take so much adoration in a day before it started making him uncomfortable.

Erwin protested softly as Levi eased off of him, letting his spent sex slide out of his snug warmth. He pushed on Erwin's shoulders, forcing him to lay back against the pillow.

"You need to rest up," reminded the omega. "You're starting to get a tired glaze to your eyes. If I don't back off now, I'll wear you completely out and you'll never get well."

"I'm fine," Erwin tried to insist, but a yawn escaped him just after he spoke. His eyes drifted shut as Levi took hold of the bed controls and adjusted it so that Erwin was lying prone again. "Levi, have you eaten enough today?"

"I had something recently, so yeah," came the answer. Pale fingers brushed aside Erwin's bangs. "Don't worry about me. Just crash and get some rest, all right? You definitely earned it."

Erwin tried to fight his impending "sex coma", despite his lover giving him the green light to collapse. He'd overdone it, though. He felt like he'd just run a marathon, and his body refused to obey his mind's order to stay awake and spend more time with Levi. The last thing he felt before succumbing to sleep was Levi's mouth pressing against his in another uncommonly gentle kiss.

* * *

Once Erwin passed out, Levi sat there watching him for a good while. He could have lost him, he realized. Had that bullet hit Erwin a little higher and more to the left, Levi would have learned what it felt like to lose the person he was mated for life to. It was a disturbing and sobering thought. As the moments ticked by, the omega weighed his own feelings in his mind. He was torn between the instinct to flee and the urge to just embrace what he had while he still had it. Levi had been in denial, telling himself that he could escape this relationship, somehow. It hadn't really occurred to him that the only true way to accomplish that would be through his death or Erwin's.

"I don't want you dead," he whispered to his slumbering mate, finally admitting the fact out loud. The strength of his emotions when Hange had told him what was really going on was frightening. Knowing how close he'd come to procuring his freedom from this bond without even trying made Levi re-evaluate his stance on it. Like it or not, the bond was sealed, and if he was completely honest with himself, he couldn't imagine his life without the big blond idiot in it.

Erwin Smith had found a way to wriggle into Levi's heart, and it was too damned late to evict him from that residency now. Levi wasn't ready to impart that information to him, though. The man had a lesson to learn. Erwin needed a reminder that he couldn't always get his way just because he had his mind set on something. He needed to know that Levi wasn't going to just show throat to him and meekly bow to his alpha influence. The trouble was in convincing Levi's omega urges to cooperate enough with him for him to succeed in teaching that lesson. Each time he was around Erwin, Levi felt himself wanting to lose himself in his touch, surrender to those damnable impulses that plagued him.

"I'm not just a fuckable hole," he muttered. "I'm not a slave to my sexuality."

The trouble was that he didn't believe it, even as he stated it. He'd come here with every intention of giving Erwin a hard time and then leaving him to think about what he'd done. Instead, he'd ended up riding his cock. Now he was even reluctant to leave Erwin's side. Levi wanted to cuddle up on the hospital bed with his alpha, wanted to just let himself enjoy the blond's presence and feel safe in his embrace.

"Disgusting," he grumbled, angry with himself. "I'm turning into a pathetic, lovesick romantic."

He couldn't even blame Erwin for that. It was on Levi to control his own feelings, no matter how hard Erwin worked to win him over. The man was trying so _hard_ , though. It almost made Levi feel guilty. A scowl crossed the dancer's features, twisting his mouth into a little frown of irritation. He'd never fallen for an alpha's courtship efforts before, never allowed it to trick him into feeling something for one of their kind. Evidently, he'd lost his edge.

"Levi," murmured Erwin in his sleep.

Much to Levi's frustration, that low, quiet utterance of his name made his heart thud hard and fast in his chest. He smoothed a lock of wayward hair away from Erwin's brow, quietly reassuring him. Something fierce and startling arose in the omega at that moment. He hadn't even thought to ask for the details concerning who was responsible for this. He hadn't thought of it until now, but now he suffered a powerful need to draw blood in recompense for his mate's condition.

"Someone's gonna bleed for this," whispered Levi, feeling his fangs extend in his mouth. The primal ferocity welling up within him was shocking. He'd never felt anything quite like it before. The closest he'd ever come was in his protectiveness of his fellow dancers. Never would he have suspected himself of getting this way over an alpha.

"Rest up and recover," Levi advised, his words faintly distorted due to the condition of his teeth. He had to get out of here now, before his aggression took a bad turn and targeted the very man he was feeling protective of. He got up, made use of the connecting bathroom to tidy himself up a bit, got dressed and left. He had no idea where to start, except to contact Hange. If any of Erwin's syndicate would be willing to help him out with this, it was her.

* * *

"Hange, what's he doing here?" Dita demanded when Levi showed up at the warehouse. They were keeping the two aggressors they'd abducted here, waiting for further instructions from their recovering boss. Seeing Erwin's favorite dancer show up on a motorcycle was a surprise, and the cold look in Levi's eyes as the omega approached made Ness instantly suspicious.

"He's got a few things to ask them," answered Hange with a shrug. "I agreed to give him the address."

"Are you nuts?" muttered Dita, eyes widening. "Erwin wouldn't like this. We've already squeezed all the information we're likely to get out of them. The boss was right about who was behind the attack. His stripper's got no business here."

"I beg to differ," countered Hange. "Levi's got every right to be here. He's not just Erwin's favorite dancer, Dita." She turned to regard him fully, and her gaze intensified. "Levi is Erwin's mate now. That makes this his business."

Dita's jaw dropped. He hadn't realized it was that serious between them. "You're shitting me."

Before Hange could answer, Levi crossed the distance of the parking lot, coming to a stop before the pair of them. The blank expression on his face gave nothing away of his thoughts, and his gaze flicked between the two mobsters.

"Am I too late?"

"Not at all," Hange said, while at the same time, Dita said: "Yes."

Levi raised a brow. "Which is it?"

Certain that Erwin wouldn't want Levi involved in this even if he _was_ mated to the exotic dancer as Hange said, Dita blocked the doorway. "They'll be dealt with, Levi. I don't know what Hange told you, but—"

"You've got two of the people responsible for Erwin's condition holed up in here," interrupted Levi firmly. "I'm here to say my piece before they're dealt with. Hange already agreed to it."

Dita glanced sidelong at his fellow captain, and he started breaking into a sweat. "Hey, I understand how you feel. I can't let you pass, though. Not without the boss's say-so."

"I can appreciate you trying to cover your ass," Levi stated evenly, "but move aside."

"It's okay, Ness," Hange soothed, leaning back against the open door. "I'll take full responsibility if Erwin asks about this. You're off the hook."

"I don't like this," muttered Dita. He watched Levi warily. There was something about the omega that unsettled him, and he couldn't put his finger on it. While Levi was definitely easy on the eyes by anyone's standards, he had a predatory aura that threw Dita off.

"Doesn't matter if you like it or not," insisted Levi. "These guys you've got stashed in here are as good as dead anyway, right? Shitty-glasses here already offered to cover for you. I only need a few minutes."

Dita parted his lips to answer, but then his phone buzzed. He took it out of his pocket, and he felt no small sense of relief to see that it was a text from the boss himself. Mike must have gotten in touch with Erwin and let him know what they'd found out.

"It's the boss," he stated, glancing up from his phone between Hange and Levi. "He wants us to hold off. He's coming here."

Hange blinked at him. "But he's in no condition to be released yet!"

"No shit," agreed Levi. "I just saw him before coming here. He's weak as a kitten."

Dita shrugged. "He says he pulled some strings to get an early release. He wants to see these guys in person before making his final decision, and I'm not going to argue with him."

Levi sighed. "Damn it."

Dita was already texting Erwin back, letting him know that Levi was there trying to get in to see the two guys. Erwin responded by telling him that he was under no circumstances to let Levi in there alone with them.

"Sorry, Ackerman," grunted Dita. "Erwin doesn't want you going in there until he gets here."

Levi scowled, but he didn't say anything further.

* * *

Erwin urged Nile to exceed the speed limit and get them to their destination as quickly as possible. He was freshly dressed in clothing brought to him from his home by his driver. He hadn't expected to hear that Levi went to the warehouse after leaving the hospital. He didn't quite know what to make of that, and the dancer wasn't responding to Erwin's texts. It was fairly late when they arrived at the location, and Erwin found Levi standing outside in the parking lot with Hange, smoking a cigarette. The blond grimaced as he got out of the car, and he saw Levi tense before looking at him. He must have felt Erwin's twinge of pain. The pale gaze looked the alpha up and down as Erwin approached, both admonishing on him and relieved.

"Thought you were supposed to be in there for another couple of weeks," Levi announced.

"I would rather be recovering in my own home," explained Erwin. "I decided to allow Hange to keep an eye on me, if needed. More importantly, what do you think you're doing here?"

Levi hesitated for a moment, while Hange looked on with interest. "I just wanted to see the pieces of shit that helped put you in the hospital," he said at last. "I'm not sure what I planned to do besides that."

Given the veiled fury in Levi's gaze, Erwin could guess where such an encounter would have gone, had he not found out Levi was there and given Dita the order not to let him in. It was flattering, really. Levi was again demonstrating that he was protective of him, even if he disliked admitting as much. Erwin smiled faintly, and he leaned against the street lamp next to him for support. Not for the first time, he thought Levi would probably make a good gangster. Erwin was beginning to rethink his decision not to help pay off Levi's debt to Kenny, even though it could mean less revenue for the club and substantial lightening of his own wallet. He needed to test the waters more, before making such a big decision.

"I'll make a deal with you. You can accompany me inside, if it's really that important to you."

"And what do you want in exchange?" pressed the omega.

"I want you to obey my instructions and avoid doing anything rash. These men drew on us during what was meant to be a business deal between our syndicates because Oswald Pinchet was pulling strings. I need to be absolutely sure they have no further information of value for us, before I decide what to do with them."

"If they've got more for you, they probably won't spill it," predicted Levi, "especially if they know they're as good as dead once they give it up to you."

"Which is why I'm willing to negotiate." Erwin's voice was calm and rational, and he didn't react when Hange ogled him. "The man that fired the bullet into me is already dead. These two didn't get a shot off before fleeing the scene. They claim that they were only there because they had no choice, according to the report given to me. I'm going to offer to give them a pass, so long as they tell me everything they know of Pinchet's plans and agree to leave Trost for good."

"Erwin, that's a pretty risky gamble," Hange pointed out. "If you let these men off the hook, they might go to Pinchet as soon as they're free. This could really backfire on you in the worst way."

"Or it could provide invaluable information to use against my enemies," countered Erwin. "Along with further means of protecting our investment."

"Investment?" repeated Levi, narrowing his eyes.

Erwin gazed at him levelly. "Yes. Don't take it personally, Levi. I did in fact purchase your club with profit in mind, and to be honest with you, I haven't yet gotten ahead with it. I would be a remiss fool to leave the club or its staff in a vulnerable position. If nothing else, think of the safety of your fellow dancers; who Pinchet still wants to get his hands on, I might add."

That seemed to get through to Levi, though he didn't look the least bit happy about it. He took another drag before putting his cigarette out and putting what remained of it back into his pack. "Fine. Lets get this over with before you keel over on us."

* * *

Levi could feel his mate's gaze on him as he stood before the two bound men in the back corner of the warehouse. Both of them were seated and cuffed to chairs, and someone had obviously roughed them up. The brunet guy on the right had his left eye completely swollen shut, while the guy with the dark blond hair on the left had a cracked lip and a crooked nose. He felt rage seep into him again, and he struggled to keep his bloodlust in check. His teeth kept trying to elongate, and it was only through sheer willpower that the omega was able to stop them from growing to full size. Now wasn't the time to reveal his nature to the wrong people, even if it might help him persuade them.

"So what was your plan?" Levi pressed when Erwin didn't say anything to the prisoners. "Kill the boss and then move in on my dancers? Or were you just gonna contact that sleeze ball that set you up to this and let him know Erwin was out of his way?"

Neither of them spoke immediately, so Levi lifted a booted foot and stuck it directly in the crotch of the one on the left. "Should I crush your balls?"

Surprisingly, it was the man Levi wasn't directly threatening that spoke up first. "He got to our boss. Me and Chris didn't want anything to do with it, but if we'd tried to back out, they would have killed us."

Levi glanced at Erwin, who nodded. "They already imparted that much to Nanaba when she interrogated them. I'm afraid if they have nothing else useful to give us, we have no reason to keep them around."

Obviously, both men could guess at what he meant by that. The one apparently named Chris with Levi's foot on his crotch spoke up, this time. "Look, all we know is he wanted Smith out of the way so he could get to those omegas he's after with less opposition."

"He was after one of them in particular," added the blond guy. "Uh...one of the girls. He wanted her for himself."

"Which one?" demanded Levi. "Give us a name."

"Shit, I can't remember," whimpered the blond. "Richie, what was that name?"

The other guy swallowed, clearly struggling to remember the information. "It was a weird name. Petri or something like that."

"Petra?" guessed Levi, his pupils narrowing to pinpoints.

"Yeah, that's it!" confirmed Chris. "Little ginger chick. He planned to send people after her first, if we took out Smith. He's got all the dancers' addresses."

Levi heard a sharp inhale from behind them, and he glanced over his shoulder at Hange, who was standing by a stack of crates. The alpha female said nothing. Instead, she whirled on her heels and headed for the door. He could guess where she planned on going, and Levi was briefly torn. Should he stick around and try to get more out of them, or should he go with Hange to check in on Petra? If the Stohess kingpen had plans to have her abducted, he obviously hadn't made his move yet. Levi had just exchanged texts with her upon arrival at the warehouse.

"Go, Levi," suggested Erwin. "I'll take it from here."

The omega looked up at the blond, painfully aware that Erwin was in a vulnerable condition, even if the man didn't advertise it. "I'm not leaving you hear alone with these shit-heads."

"I'll be fine," assured Erwin. "Mike is on his way, and they're both restrained. They aren't going anywhere until I make my decision."

Levi's brows pinched, and he started to argue further. Erwin cut him off at the pass, though. "What was our agreement, Levi?"

The dancer deflated slightly. He'd agreed to follow Erwin's instructions in exchange for being present for this encounter. Levi never went back on his word, either. "All right, I'll trust in your judgment," he decided at last, "but I'm coming right back as soon as I make sure Petra's somewhere safe."

Erwin nodded, smiling quietly at him. "Fair enough."

For fear that he might lose his nerve and go back on his promise if he didn't leave now, Levi turned and followed Hange's trajectory. He hoped he wasn't making a huge mistake and putting Erwin in further danger, leaving him alone with those goons like this.

* * *

Eren was surprised to see Armin so soon after their encounter the day before. He'd just gotten home from grocery shopping, and he was fixing himself a bedtime snack. He stood there in his pajamas with a bowl of fried rice in one hand, having opened his front door to find the teacher on the other side.

"Armin, hey!" Eren shook himself out of his surprise, and he stepped aside to let the other man in. "I would have gotten dressed if I knew you were coming over."

Armin gave Eren's forest green pajama pants an appreciative look. "I'm sorry I didn't call. I just knew you were supposed to have tonight off, and I wanted to talk to you in person."

Eren certainly didn't have any objections to that. He closed the door behind Armin, and he gestured towards his small living room. "Go ahead and have a seat. Do you want some of this?"

Armin glanced at the bowl of rice, and he shook his head. "Thanks, no. I'm still a little queasy about my meeting with Mikasa."

Eren's expression fell. "So it didn't go well?"

"Oh, on the contrary, it went better than I expected," corrected Armin as the two of them sat down on the worn couch. "That's why I wanted to come right over. We met up at the pub around the corner from my place, and we had a heart-to-heart. It didn't even last as long as I expected, and we worked everything out."

"You did?" Eren smiled in relief. "So what happened? Did you just talk about that night, or did you also mention yesterday to her?"

"Well, it started out with both of us stammering apologies at the same time, in the beginning." Armin shrugged. "Then we just looked at each other, and we both started to laugh. It was so weird how it happened, but it really broke the ice. Yes, we discussed what happened between you and I. That was really the more frightening part of it all, to me. She really was okay with it, though. She sincerely seems to approve of the arrangement."

"See, I told you." Eren took a bite of his food, and he rinsed it down with the glass of soda he'd left on the coffee table for himself. "She hasn't gotten in touch with me about it yet, though."

"I have a feeling she might be on her way over here too," explained Armin. "Mikasa probably had a similar idea to mine about telling you in person, if my guess is right."

Eren could see her feeling that way, and he nodded. "Maybe she just got caught up in work or something on her way over."

As if on cue, there was a knock at his door as soon as Eren finished speaking. He excused himself, set his bowl down next to his drink and got up to answer it. Fully expecting to find Mikasa on the other side of it, Eren didn't even look through the peep-hole. He opened up the door and his grin of greeting immediately died on his lips when he found three big, rough-looking alphas waiting on the other side of it, rather than his girlfriend.

* * *

-To be continued


	16. Chapter 16

"Hange, what in the world?"

Petra sputtered as the alpha woman charged in as soon as she opened her door. Hange grabbed her by the shoulders, and she looked her up and down as if searching for injuries. Hange relaxed a moment later, loosening her hold on Petra with a sigh.

"Pack some things, dear," Hange ordered. "You need to come with me."

Before Petra could inquire as to what the big fuss was about, Levi came in behind Hange. He also looked her up and down, and he shut and locked the door behind himself. "Pack a bag. We can come back for more of your stuff later. Just grab some essentials so we can get out of here."

"Will one of you please tell me what's happening?" Petra cried in exasperation, following Levi through her apartment as he made a beeline for her bedroom. "Levi! What's this all about?"

He didn't pause. He located the suitcase she kept in her closet for those rare moments when she had enough time off to go away for a weekend, and he tossed it on her bed. "It's not safe to stay here right now." He started yanking drawers open and packing for her, for once not bothering to organize.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Hange was the one to answer her question. "The man who originally planned to purchase you and the others for the sex trade has plans to come for you. According to the information we've gotten, you're at the top of his list. We're going to arrange somewhere for you and the others to stay for a while, until this blows over."

"But what about my job?" demanded Petra. "How am I supposed to work if this guy wants to have me kidnapped?"

"We're going to work something out," explained Levi, "but none of you are to go to or from the club without an escort, from now on. We'll close it for a few days and do some minor renovations as an excuse, while we figure this shit out. Hange, do you have this?"

Hange nodded. "Yes. We'll be out the door soon enough, Levi. I'll take care of her."

"Good. I'm gonna swing by Eren's and get him. I'll drop him off at the designated safe house, and then I'll get the others."

"Connie's already on his way with Raddo to pick up Mina, since they're close to where she lives," informed Hange. "I've tried to text Mikasa, but she hasn't answered."

"Probably busy fucking Eren's brains out," muttered Levi. "I'm sure they'd rather me barge in on them than a bunch of kidnapping thugs, though."

Petra watched him go, and she shook her head, trying to make sense of all this. She'd thought they were all relatively safe, now. Dark memories from her past washed over her, and she shivered. She felt a tall, warm presence at her back, felt Hange's arms steel around her from behind.

"It's going to be all right, sweetheart," Hange soothed. "We got lucky. Pinchet probably knows that the first part of his plan didn't succeed, so he likely hasn't even sent people to try and collect you all, yet. This will get dealt with, one way or the other."

Petra sighed. She rested her hands over Hange's longer ones, taking comfort in her nearness. She turned around to face her, and her amber gaze was somber on the alpha. "I just want a normal life, some day. Family, a house, holiday get-togethers with friends..."

Petra bowed her head. "All the things none of us will probably have. I'm sorry, I'm standing here feeling sorry for myself, when I should just be packing."

Hange cupped the smaller woman's chin, tilting Petra's head back gently. She didn't say anything; she just stared at her for a moment, and then she lifted her glasses up to prop them on her head. She closed the distance between their mouths for a tender, heartfelt kiss. She didn't try to make Petra any promises that the future she wanted was possible, nor did she attempt to lighten the mood. She was just there for her, and that was exactly what Petra needed.

* * *

Levi was used to seeing Eren's apartment in various states of disarray, but the moment he made it to the door and found it cracked open, he knew that something was wrong. With his senses on high alert and his body tensed for action, Levi pushed the door open with one hand. With his other hand, he reached for the knife concealed in an inner pocket of his jacket. He froze when he stepped in to find the place wrecked like a tornado had been through it. A familiar female form was sitting in the middle of the living room, clutching something in her hands. Levi shot another quick glance around before going to Mikasa's side near the broken coffee table. There were spots of blood here and there on the floor, and he touched one with a fingertip, before lifting it to his nose to sniff at it. Eren's blood.

"I found it like this," Mikasa murmured, sensing his approach. She kept staring down at the object in her hands. It was a framed photograph of her, Eren and Armin outside the movie theater together. She finally looked up at the older vampire, her fair features full of dismay and anxiety. "Armin was here. There were at least three of them. They took both of them."

Upon looking around again, Levi spotted a few strands of long-ish golden hair scattered on the floor. Next to those was a piece of ripped, dark blue material. Armin must have put up a fight. Eren obviously did, as well. Levi cursed softly and paced, running the fingers of his free hand through his hair. Too late. He'd come too late. He thought they were a step ahead of the opposition, thought that the others would be safe enough because those guys said Pinchet had his sights set on Petra first. Levi dug out his phone, and he dialed Hange's number.

"Hey, I'm at Jaeger's place. Is Petra safe?"

"Yes, Levi," Hange answered on the other line. "We're hitting the interstate now. How's Eren?"

Levi compressed his lips, looking around at the pathetic state of the apartment's interior. "Gone. Mikasa's here with me. Neither one of us got here in time. Either those assholes at the warehouse lied to us, or there was a change of plans. We think Armin was here with Eren when they came, and they took him too."

"Damn," hissed Hange. "Are you sure they got abducted? Maybe they just went out."

"The place is a wreck," informed Levi. "Eren's bad about leaving clutter, but there's busted furniture, bits of hair and blood all over the place. A brawl happened here."

"I'll let Erwin know," promised Hange. "In the meantime, I'll have our people concentrate on rounding up the other dancers before this can happen to one of them, too. Levi, you should—"

"I'm going to find them," interrupted Levi coldly. "Just get the others to safety."

"Levi, I think you should leave this to the syndicate," cautioned Hange. "Not that I don't realize you're a resourceful little grump, but you're still just one man."

"I've got Mikasa with me," reminded Levi, "and I'm not planning to jump right into the hornet's nest. I'll track them down and relay the information once I find them, but I've got to get moving now before the trail gets cold."

"And what am I supposed to tell Erwin when he asks about you?"

Levi sighed. He couldn't tell Hange just _why_ he believed he could track Eren's abductors down. "Tell him I'm using my ninja skills."

"Er, Levi, maybe you should wait."

"Can't," he insisted. "I've got to go now, four-eyes. Just trust me on this one."

Levi hung up the phone, and he knelt down beside Mikasa. She had this hopeless look on her face, reminding him that she had a personal, emotional investment in both missing young men. "Oi, snap out of it," he demanded, giving her shoulder a shake. "We've got to get going. You aren't doing Eren or Armin any favors, sitting around like this."

She looked at him, and her expression hardened as his words inspired determination in her. Mikasa nodded, and she got to her feet. Together, the two Ackermans began to take advantage of their heightened senses to follow the trail out of Eren's apartment. They hadn't been dragged out the same door that their kidnappers had come through; the trail led to the window with the fire escape access. Levi climbed out first, his sharp eyes scanning for visual clues while his sense of smell provided olfactory aid. Mikasa's senses seemed to agree with his, and they dropped the fire escape ladder to climb down into the alley.

"Tire marks," announced Mikasa softly, pointing out the tread stains on the street. She squatted near them, examining the wet traces of footprints nearby. "They can't have been taken very long ago. I think this is Armin's shoe print."

Levi nodded, and he noticed a bare footprint next to it. "That one might be Eren's. Looks about his size. They must have been dragged through a puddle before being forced into the car. Maybe he lost a shoe or wasn't wearing any."

"Then they went this way," stated Mikasa, and she started off.

"Hold up," admonished Levi, grabbing her arm to stop her. "Don't just go charging off on foot. Yeah, we can run fast, but we'd better conserve energy for when we _do_ find them. Did you come here in your car?"

Mikasa nodded.

"Then let's take that," decided Levi. He almost went for his motorcycle, but they would need the seat space for Eren and Armin if they found them and got them back. It would also be easier to keep following the trail if one of them drove and the other focused on the trail. "Go get your car and meet me back here. You drive, I'll keep tracking."

Mikasa didn't argue with his suggestion. While she went to fetch her car from around the back of the building, Levi made sure they were on the right track. He didn't let himself think of the possibility of failure. Worrying over what would happen if he couldn't find the two boys would only distract him from the hunt.

* * *

Erwin understood just what it meant when Hange informed him that Levi was using his "ninja skills", and he tried not to let it trouble him. He'd seen his mate in action before, and he knew how much damage both Levi and Mikasa could do with just their bare hands. He had to trust Levi to use his head. Erwin himself was too physically drained to do much more than monitor the situation. When he learned that Eren Jaeger and his friend apparently got abducted, he pressed his prisoners for information regarding where the most likely place would be for them to be taken to.

Neither of the rival syndicate members seemed to know the answer to that, unfortunately. They claimed not to know any details concerning how their associates intended to transport any of the dancers to Pinchet without getting caught by the authorities. Erwin knew it got done all the time, though, otherwise the underground flesh trade wouldn't be so lucrative. There was little doubt in his mind that Pinchet had some associates within the authorities to help him get away with things, just as Erwin did himself. Crooked cops, creative bribery and the right connections could enable someone to smuggle human cargo.

"Boss, I checked into it," Mike said, breaking into Erwin's thoughts, "and it looks like Pinchet's got a private jet line. He could be counting on using that to transport any of the omegas he manages to catch. We'll keep digging up any information we can, but he's got privacy measures set up and it could take a while."

Erwin nodded, leaning back in the chair. They were still in the warehouse, and it was going on two in the morning. Everyone else save the two of them and four soldiers were out securing the remaining dancers or trying to track down where the enemy might have taken Eren and his friend.

"Have you made a decision?" Mike asked in a low voice, nodding toward the two half-conscious men still tied up in the back corner of the building.

"I have," decided Erwin. "Release them, and have them followed. I gave my word that they would go free if they cooperated."

"You're sure?" pressed Mike. "They might have more to give us."

"They don't," Erwin said with certainty. "I may be tired, but I can assure you they have no further information for us."

"Then why not just get rid of them?" Mike met his eyes again, clearly puzzled. "They could cause more trouble if we let them go."

"Or, they could lead us to Pinchet's men. He'll likely be sending people after them, if he knows they escaped the botched attempt at my life. He'll want to ensure they don't speak with the authorities or turn on him. That could work to our advantage."

"I get it." Mike smirked. "So you're not really letting them go; you're using them as bait."

"Better them than the omegas he's after." Erwin sighed, and he rubbed his fatigued eyes. "He moved faster than I expected. I would have thought he would wait for confirmation that I'm dead, before going after any of those dancers."

Mike shrugged. "Maybe he thought you _were_ dead."

Erwin considered that. None of Pinchet's men had made it back to him or his captains with news of how it went. If he'd had someone watching the building they were in when it went down, they might have seen Erwin getting carried out, apparently gravely wounded. That might have been enough for him to decide to go ahead and start rounding up the omegas. The hospital they'd taken Erwin to was a secure one, and they'd admitted him under a false name. Given that, Erwin supposed it wasn't unreasonable for his rival to presume he was dead or at least out of commission.

Erwin's thoughts were becoming a blur. He ached, but it wasn't overpowering. What his body needed the most right now was some rest, but he had to see this through. "See to it that it's done, Mike. I want them heavily monitored, and I want to know exactly where they go once they're dropped off. Let's hope this brings some results."

"I'll take care of it," promised Mike.

* * *

"Eren. Eren, can you move?"

The omega groaned softly as the familiar voice roused him. His head hurt from a cut on his scalp. One of the men that showed up at his place and nabbed them clubbed him in the temple with the butt of his gun. Eren tried to move his arms, and he realized his wrists were restrained. So were his bare ankles, and there was a strap across his chest and hips, as well. There was also a substantial draft, and he opened his eyes to find himself stark naked. He was in a tiled room with dim, fluorescent lighting overhead, and he was lying on a medical gurney. They'd strapped him down to the cot. He could feel bandaging on his head where the one guy had struck him.

Eren turned his head, and he could see Armin lying in an identical bed on the other side of the room, likewise strapped down. The blond was just as naked as Eren, and with some disquiet, Eren realized someone must have examined them. It was all too familiar. Armin was watching him with concerned blue eyes, fear visible in his expression.

"They tested me to find out my type," explained the blond. "You were out the entire time. Eren, what do you think they want?"

Eren closed his eyes, a sick feeling welling in the pit of his stomach. He remembered one of the men that had barged into his apartment. He'd seen him before, back when he and the others were in captivity and being trained as sex slaves. He'd never learned the guy's name, but he was one of the alphas that ran security to ensure none of the omegas they intended to auction off escaped.

"I recognized one of them right as I tried to slam the door shut. Shit, I'm sorry, Armin. If I'd just checked before answering my door, we might not be in this situation now."

"Never mind that," urged Armin. "I thought it would be Mikasa too, so don't blame yourself. We need to work out where we are, Eren. That's the first thing to focus on, in a situation like this."

Eren sighed. As rational as Armin was trying to be, he could hear the quiver of dread in his voice. He opened his eyes back up, and he looked around as best he could. "It looks like a hospital room to me. They examined both of us, right?"

"Yes." Armin grimaced, and when he tried to shift, he moaned. "M-my arm. I think it's fractured. Can you see?"

Eren looked, and he then noticed that someone had braced his friend's left forearm and wrapped it. He vaguely remembered Armin going down with one of the goons tackling him, and he guessed his injury must have happened then. "It looks like it's at least sprained," he finally answered. Anger began to churn within him, and Eren grunted as he strained against his bonds, trying to wriggle one of his limbs free. "Damn them, they'll pay for this!"

"Eren, I need to know what's going to happen!"

The dancer forced himself to calm down. He'd been in this situation before, but Armin hadn't. It must be terrifying for him. "If they've taken care of your injuries, they might plan to sell you...like they probably will me. If they're run by the same people that had me and the other dancers before, they usually deal with omegas. Sometimes they make exceptions with betas, though. They might try to sell you as a sex slave, or they might put you to work doing something else."

Both possibilities infuriated Eren, and he resumed his struggles. He couldn't let this happen to his friend. He'd tear their captors apart with his own hands, if he had to.

"Eren, stop growling," pleaded Armin. "You're going to attract attention in here, and we need to try and be quiet and think of a way out of this."

Eren fell back on the bed, panting. "You're right. I've got to try and think. Gotta come up with a plan to get you out of here."

"To get us _both_ out of here," corrected Armin. "I don't think muscle alone is going to do it. Is this the first time something like this has happened to you since Levi and Kenny got you all out of the flesh trade?"

Remembering the guys that came in starting trouble that night at the club, along with Levi mentioning stepping up security, Eren frowned. "Yes, but there was something else that happened a little while ago. Remember those guys coming into the club and starting shit that night?"

"Yes. I wasn't there, but you told me about it. Do you think it's related to this?"

"I don't know," sighed Eren. "I just know Levi told me they were stepping up security after that, and he wouldn't say much more than that. I think he would have said something if he thought they would come directly after any of us, though."

"So we can assume the original people that had you all in captivity are behind this," reasoned Armin. He groaned in pain. "Why, though? They got their money. What difference should it make to them whether you all ended up as intended, or as you are now?"

It took Eren a second to translate that in his head. "I don't know, Armin. Maybe they found out we were all freed and are trying to track us down because they're afraid we'll talk to someone and get their operation shut down."

"If that were the case, wouldn't they just be trying to kill you?"

Eren frowned again. Yes, that would make more sense. "Maybe they want to get information out of us, then. If they think any of us tried to get the authorities involved, they'd probably want to know who we talked to and when. They'd want to know what we said, and if we managed to give any information on locations."

None of them could have given any names. Their keepers had always gone by code names in their presence as a precaution against anyone managing to escape being able to identify them to authorities. Hell, Eren didn't even know where they were at, half the time. Their captors blindfolded them whenever they moved them anywhere, so apart from building structures they were kept in and climate, there wasn't much to go by.

The door to the tiled room they were in came open then, and Eren tensed as two alphas came in. One of them was a tall, muscular guy with a buzz cut, wearing shades over his eyes, a muscle shirt, cargo pants and combat boots. He was obviously a guard. The other was a middle-aged man that Eren immediately recognized, and the dancer groaned.

Doctor Carver. The man responsible for the examination and sterilization of all omega slaves brought into the illegal sex trade. He stood over Eren in his lab coat, watching him with interest. Of medium build with collar-length, wavy brown hair, blue-green eyes and a lightly tanned complexion, he wasn't an unattractive sort, physically. He didn't look as intimidating as some alphas, but Eren knew there wasn't a single molecule of compassion in this guy's body.

"Eren Jaeger," greeted the doctor, scanning the bound omega slowly with his eyes. "You've filled out some, since I last saw you. How old would you be now, twenty-two?"

Eren didn't answer him. The doctor leaned over him to get a better look at him. "Yes, I think that's right. You were nineteen when I gave you the procedure. You were rather gangly then, but I knew you would grow into fine form. It seems I was right. Now, let's see..."

The doctor opened up a folder that he held in one hand, and he looked through it. "Your basic physical came back with good results. That's nice to know. I'll still need to ensure you haven't had my work on you reversed during your time away, and of course, I'll have to examine you more thoroughly myself. Other than that, I think we're set."

Eren gritted his teeth. It had taken him and the other dancers time to be able to cope with getting voluntary physical examinations for health reasons, after being liberated. Carver's methods weren't much different from any other doctor's, but there was a difference between having a choice and not having one.

"Now, what about this one?" asked the doctor, turning his attention to Armin. "It looks like they've braced his arm sufficiently. Hmm...a beta, is he? Armin Arlert."

"Don't you touch him," growled Eren, temper flaring again. "Just leave him alone! He's got nothing to do with this!"

The bigger alpha standing by the door spoke up. "They want him checked out too. He might not be an omega, but he's still got some value."

"It seems they've already taken care of that," mused the doctor. "His blood work came back normal, he has good teeth and his chart states that he's in good health. Unless of course they want him neutered or sterilized, there's nothing more I need to do with this one."

Eren heard Armin whimper at the casual mention of getting castrated or snipped, and the omega began to struggle again. This time, he managed to budge the right strap binding his wrist to the sidebar of his bed. The guard rushed over to hold him down as Eren struggled to sit up, and Eren got some satisfaction when he clamped his teeth down hard on the alpha's reaching hand. Blood spurted, and he had the vague thought that Levi might be proud of his biting skills.

"Son of a bitch," growled the guard.

"Not the face," Dr. Carver tried to warn, but his companion was already swinging.

Eren's ears rung as the man struck him on the side of the head, directly where he'd taken the pistol-whipping before. He heard Armin cry out in protest, and then everything went black again.

* * *

The sun was rising by the time Levi and Mikasa's search ended. The trail led them to what looked like an abandoned electric plant. They parked Mikasa's car a short ways down the road behind some bushes, and they crept up to the fence. Mikasa had her sunglasses, but Levi hadn't brought his. He squinted with discomfort against the orange glare of sunrise, tearing up at the assault on his sensitive eyes.

"No activity," Levi said, shading his eyes with a hand. He glanced behind them in the direction they'd come from. He was sure he'd kept on the trail. They'd had to backtrack a couple of times, but he and Mikasa both had a blood bond with Eren from feeding on him. They'd both agreed they were heading in the right direction.

"Right," Mikasa breathed, and she started to jump up on high, chain-link fence.

"Hold it," Levi snapped, grabbing for her. He caught the trailing end of her denim jacket. "Look for fucking cams first, hotshot. Just because the place _looks_ abandoned doesn't mean it _is_. Hasn't your career taught you anything?"

Mikasa dropped back down beside him, and she had the grace to look chagrined. She peered around carefully, drawing the gun she'd holstered to herself before getting out of the car. Unfortunately, Levi wasn't much help in spotting possible surveillance cameras, given that the sun was rising behind the plant and shining directly into his eyes.

"Up there," announced Mikasa in a hushed voice. She ducked behind the base of a windmill near their location of the perimeter, pulling Levi with her. "It was moving," she explained to him, "so at least part of this plant is still operational."

Levi nodded. "Can you take it out when it turns away?"

She clicked off the safety of her gun, and she nodded. "Consider it gone."

Levi started to cover his ears, but then he noticed she had a silencer on her gun. It was still pretty loud when Mikasa checked, aimed and fired. There was a metallic ring as the bullet hit, and she faced him again with a nod of confirmation.

"One down, then," he muttered. "That ought to give us the chance we need to get over this fence without being seen, at least. We should avoid as many as we can. If they've really got something going on in there, we don't want to take out too many of their cameras and alert them. Hold back on the vampire abilities for now so you don't drain them before they're needed."

She tilted her head. "What did you do before you were a dancer, Levi?"

He gave her a bare, dry smirk. "Lots of shit I don't have time to reminisce about, right now. Maybe another time."

"Illegal, I take it." Mikasa put her gun away and jumped up on the fence. Levi followed her.

"Like you've got room to talk about doing anything illegal," he countered.

They both dropped down over the side of the fence, avoiding the barbed wire at the top carefully. Neither one of them made more than a whisper of sound, and they scouted out their next path to take. There were weeds climbing the walls of the structure, broken shards of glass in the windows. Aside from the motion of the camera Mikasa had spotted, the place certainly didn't look like it was in use.

"Sucks that we lost the cover of darkness," commented Levi softly. He pointed to a pylon not far away. "See any cameras in that direction?"

Mikasa looked. "No. If your aim is to head towards that structure on the right, though, I think I see a camera up above the main entry."

"Nice spotting," approved Levi. "We'll skirt around it and see if we can find a window to look inside, or an entry point."

They carefully and stealthily made their way around, using the overgrowth dotting the facility landscape as cover. Both of them stopped when they spotted a black SUV several yards away, sitting outside a large roller-door entrance. They looked at each other, and then Levi approached the vehicle. Mikasa covered him with her firearm as he crept up to have a closer look. Levi squatted down to look at the tread pattern on the tires. They matched the tracks they'd seen in the alley. He had a deep sniff, and he twisted to look back at his companion when he confirmed that Eren's blood scent was still there, weak though it may be.

Mikasa started forward, and Levi shook his head. Now that he was in the shadow of the building, he could see a window that he could try and scale the wall to as a point of entry. He wanted to see what the hell was inside this place before making any plans to explore more deeply.

* * *

Erwin was in a dead sleep when Mike nudged him awake. He'd passed out in the back of his car, while his driver dozed in the front of it. Erwin jerked in response to being roused, and the motion caused a jolt of pain to go through him.

"Ah, damn it," groaned the mafia boss. Upon recalling where he was and what was going on, Erwin eased more carefully into a sitting position, letting the coat he'd been using as a blanket slip down. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, wondering what time it was. Mike was hunched over, having leaned in to wake him up.

"Sorry, chief," whispered Mike. "Levi just tried to call you. He couldn't reach you, so he contacted me."

Erwin perked up a bit, and he checked his watch. It was going on eight-thirty in the morning. He reached painfully for his phone, still wedged in the pocket of his coat. Sure enough, there were two missed calls from Levi. No texts, though. "Did he find anything?" Erwin asked.

"Yeah. He thinks he found where they took Jaeger and his friend. I've got the location. I can handle this, if you need me to."

Erwin's mind was still groggy. Sleeping in the car in the parking lot of a warehouse wasn't the most conducive to recovering from a bullet wound. "What about the men we released? Did they get dropped off and followed?"

"Yeah. They packed their shit and left town. I've got people trailing them to see where they go."

"And the other dancers? What is their status?"

"All safe and accounted for. Eren's the only one we didn't get to in time."

Erwin nodded. "This is escalating very fast. It seems our rival is trying to attack from all angles. Have our people take extra care, Mike. Especially you and the other captains. The high ranking members of this family are likely targets for hits."

"Including you," reminded Mike. "You should go home. Rest up and let us deal with this. Just tell me what you want done about Eren Jaeger."

Erwin thought about it. He could order his syndicate to move in on the location Eren was being held at, but he didn't know what sort of opposition they might face. Right now, a massive, violent shootout would draw far too much attention to his family. The tabloids didn't need to catch wind of a war brewing between two major syndicates. He couldn't just leave Eren in enemy hands, though. Levi would never forgive him, and Oswald would see it as a win against him. He would have to employ other methods to have that place cleaned out.

Erwin started to smile as an idea started to come to him, then.

"You have a plan?" guessed Mike.

"I might. First, I need to contact Levi and tell him to stay put and not make a move. Then I'll call Shadis."

Mike frowned. "Boss, I think its past time to try and negotiate with these people."

"I said nothing about negotiation," explained Erwin. "I plan to call in a favor. Shadis still has connections I haven't made use of in a while...connections that can take some of the heat off of us."

* * *

Mikasa looked at her companion as Levi swore vilely. That didn't bode well, not for them and not for Eren or Armin. She watched as Levi put his phone away and hunched in a predatory manner on the tree branch they were seated in, like a cat seeking out an ideal hunting target. She could imagine him with a swishing tale, and Mikasa wondered if people saw her that way as well when she was in her hunt mode.

"We're on our own," Levi informed her, his voice low and dangerous sounding to the ears.

Mikasa narrowed her eyes, and two spots of color lit her cheeks. "They aren't just going to _leave_ them in there?"

Her companion looked at her sidelong. "We don't even know where they are, kid. All we know is they're somewhere inside one of these structures. I didn't see any movement inside when I looked through the windows of the last two buildings. Your syndicate has its hands full right now, and we can't tell them what they could be up against even if they could gather the manpower to come storm this place."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" she demanded. "I'm not leaving Eren and Armin behind."

"Neither am I," answered Levi. He eyed the structures around them thoughtfully, and he checked his watch. "Erwin wants us to sit tight while he works something out, but I didn't make any direct promises to him concerning this situation...and I'm not a member of his mafia. You are, though. Use your best judgment."

"And what are you going to do?" Mikasa stared at him, impressed.

The gray of Levi's eyes lit up as he met her stare, becoming an unearthly, reflective silver in color. His canines elongated into fangs, flashing in the light as he spoke. "I'm going to hunt. Time to stop holding back."

His simple, cold statement awakened primal instincts in her, making her blood hum in her veins. Her eyes lit up as well, her fangs extending in kind. Levi was right. They could either wait around and hope help would come in time, or they could go in and find the boys themselves.

* * *

There was a reason Levi had cautioned Mikasa to conserve energy. They'd snuck around to avoid the cameras before while trying to confirm this was the right place, but there was no need for that kind of creeping about now. Moving with preternatural speed, the pair moved past any surveillance cameras they spotted faster than the devices could capture their images. He took the lead, stopping when he reached his next waypoint and signaling for her to join him. As they neared the center of the plant, Levi started to wonder if they were already too late, though. For all they knew, Eren and his friend had already been transported out of here before they arrived, possibly by air. If that was the case, Levi and Mikasa couldn't use their senses to track them any further and they were both expending their vampire powers for nothing. He had a gut feeling though, and he stuck with it as he searched for further evidence that Eren was still there somewhere. He ignored the twinges of pain in his side that he got occasionally from his link to Erwin, focusing on the task at hand.

It wasn't until Levi zipped around to the front of the center plant building that he finally found proof in the flesh that this place wasn't abandoned. In fact, he nearly ran over a man that was just coming out of the front doors, dressed in clothes fit for combat and armed. There was another man behind him, also coming out. Obviously, they were guards. Both were alphas, and Levi didn't hesitate to leap on the first one before the man even knew he was there. He bit into his throat, while at the same time grabbing his prey's wrist to stop him from grabbing his gun. There was a snap and a scream of surprise. The gun clattered to the ground, and Levi heard Mikasa yell his name as the second guard took aim at him. The girl was upon him before he could fire, and she went for his throat.

 _~No killing,~_ Levi reminded himself as his opponent's knees started to buckle. _~Not if there's a choice. Maiming is fine.~_

He let go of the guard, and he started to pick up the man's weapon. Upon examination of the firearm, Levi determined he wasn't familiar enough with it to bother trying to use it. He'd probably make more of a mess than he needed to if he tried. Knives, martial skills and agility were his best weapons.

"Mikasa, come on," he called, heading for the open doorway.

She lifted her head, displaying a bloody mouth and fangs. Her victim appeared to be still breathing. She hadn't drained him to death. Quick feedings as they went should replenish their abilities and keep them from burning out. With any luck, they would pick up the trail to Eren again once inside, and they wouldn't run into too much opposition.

* * *

They made it to the second floor of the middle building, subduing anyone in their path as they went. Levi was just about to head up the next staircase when Mikasa thought she heard sirens. "Levi, wait."

He paused, looking back over his shoulder at her. He kept wiping his mouth off as he went, and there was a smear of drying blood across his left cheek. His jacket sleeve wasn't making the best napkin. "What?"

"Do you hear that?"

He cocked his head, frowned and went to the closest window in a flash. She came up behind him, peering over his shoulder. At first they couldn't see anything, but when the sound of chopper rotors joined the distant sound of the sirens, they could make up clouds of dust coming up from the road outside the plant perimeter. Mikasa spotted flashing lights in the air, and she looked up to see a small formation of aircrafts heading their way.

"The police," Levi announced. He considered the possibilities. He hadn't picked up Eren's trail again and neither had Mikasa, so either the blood they'd spilled so far had interfered with that, or they'd just made a huge mistake. He might have just trespassed on government property and assaulted people that were doing legitimate work.

"Fuck," he hissed.

"Levi, I can't smell Eren anymore. We've lost the trail."

"Yeah," he agreed grimly. "If he's here, we're in the wrong place. Better get our asses out of here and lay low."

The angst apparent in her expression gave him a second's pause. "Oi, if your boyfriend and his bookworm are here, the cops will find them when they storm this place to investigate. We can't be here when they arrive, though."

She sighed, and she nodded in agreement. Levi looked back at the direction they'd come from, and he cursed again. He counted a dozen men lying in various states of injury, just on this floor alone. He hadn't realized they'd taken down so many.

"This way," he urged, tugging her toward an emergency exit door. "Better that we don't leave the way we came in and risk getting seen. Save the vampire speed for once we're out in the open, so we can get out of sight fast."

* * *

The next time Eren regained consciousness, he was dressed in a pair of jogging pants and a plain t-shirt. He sat up carefully, finding that he wasn't bound to the bunk bed he was lying on. He abruptly hit his head on the bunk above him, and he cursed and reached up to rub at it.

"I'm going to end up with brain damage," he predicted, again disoriented.

His limbs felt sluggish, and he felt an eerie sort of calm that could only have been artificially induced. He'd been drugged. It took him a few seconds to remember what had happened and realize the rocking motion beneath him. Even more confused than before, Eren tried to get up. His left ankle was secured to a metal post in the floor, tethered to a chain and a padded manacle. Upon looking around, he could see his surroundings enough in the dim light coming through a small window to get some clue as to where he was. He appeared to be in some sort of cabin, and his suspicion concerning the rocking motion was confirmed when he hobbled over to the little round window set in the far wall and looked through it.

He was on a boat. It turned a bit, and he could see land on the horizon. He squinted, and he could recognize the big Trost bell tower, far in the distance. They weren't out at sea; they were out on the great lake separating Trost from Stohess.

"Shit," muttered Eren. He looked around the cabin again, and he saw a limp, pale hand hanging over the side of the bunk above his own. "Armin? Armin, is that you?"

A mussed blond head lifted, and Armin's pale locks hung over his eyes as he peered down at Eren with a slack mouth. His pupils were wide, and his gaze kept wavering as if he couldn't quite focus on the omega. The beta shifted, and Eren realized that he too was tethered by the ankle.

"I think so," said Armin slowly. "Eren?"

"Yeah." Eren grabbed his hand. "It's me. Man, they've got you stoned out of your mind."

Eren bit his lip, recalling what the doctor had said about putting Armin under the knife. He hopped up carefully on the bottom bunk, and he apologized to the blond as he tugged Armin's sweatpants down a little to have a quick look. "I'm sorry, I just need to make sure they didn't do anything to you." He sighed in relief. No cuts. Armin was still intact.

"Least...arm doesn't hurt anymore," whispered the blond, his head sinking back down. "Are we...going home?"

That hopeful, plaintive question made Eren ache, sobering him a bit more. He rested his forehead against the side of Armin's bunk, and he rubbed the other young man's hand slowly. Home. Eren never appreciated that concept more than he did now. His apartment was small and cluttered, but it was _his_. He might not have the most glamorous or dignified job in the world, but that money he earned was _his_ , and he actually had fun doing it. Most of all, he had a family; people that knew what he'd been through and understood, people he could confide in and trust. He had a beautiful girlfriend and now, a boyfriend too. He'd found home, but he and Armin might never make it back there again.

Despair flooded the young dancer, and he began to cry softly.

* * *

It was Erwin's turn to wonder where Levi was, wonder what he was doing and worry about him. He hadn't heard anything from him since he'd told him to stay put. He wasn't getting any text responses, and the phone kept going to voicemail when Erwin tried to call him. The mafia boss had gone home with a bodyguard to get some rest after calling in his favor. Exhaustion and pain medication got the better of him, and he'd barely made it to his bed before he was fast asleep. He woke up again as the sun was setting, and when he realized he'd slept through everything he had organized, he immediately got on the phone with people.

But he couldn't reach Levi Ackerman. Nor could he reach Mikasa Ackerman, whom he knew had been with Levi the last time he'd heard anything from him.

Erwin called Hange first, because for some reason, she and Levi seemed to have established a rapport with one another. Hange didn't know where he was or what was going on with him. She had her hands full, trying to work out with Kenny how long the club needed to be closed and how the dancers were going to come in to work safely if they opened it again before the threat of Pinchet's ambition was dealt with.

Erwin checked with Mike next, got confirmation that the police raid had taken place, but they were still waiting to hear about the results. Erwin went down the list of all of his captains and ranking soldiers. Nobody had heard anything from the two missing Ackermans. Finally, in frustration, Erwin changed clothes and went into his living room. He nodded at his bodyguard in greeting, used to having one available now and then when things got hairy. Now definitely counted as one of those times.

"Want a drink, boss?" offered the tall brunet as Erwin sat down on the couch and flipped the television on.

Erwin almost took him up on the offer, but he changed his mind with a shake of his head. "Thanks, no. Not while I'm on this medication."

He absently surfed through the TV channels, and he sat up straighter abruptly when he happened upon the five o'clock news. There on the screen was an airborne view of an old production plant, and the text scrolling across the screen read: "Bizarre violence at electric plant under renovations".

Erwin turned the volume up, listening intently. Levi was at a plant of some sort when he gave the location to Mike.

 _"A tip off about alleged illegal human trafficking led local police forces to this power plant, just before noon today,"_ reported the news broadcaster. _"What they found when they arrived was not a slavery operation, but a bloodbath! Police arrived on the scene to find security and plant personnel lying severely injured on the first two floors of the main operations building. Some appeared to be mauled by some kind of animal, while others had gunshot and stab wounds. Six of the victims were admitted to intensive care. The others weren't as seriously injured, and there were no deaths. Chief of the Trost police force Dot Pixis stated that further investigation will take place. None of the victims are currently available for statements."_

Erwin slowly stood up. He looked for his phone, and he sought out Keith's number. Staring blankly at the television, he waited for his Consigliore to pick up. "Keith, it's me," he said when Shadis answered. "I just turned on the news and saw a segment about the raid. Do you know what happened that they aren't sharing with the media?"

"I figured you'd be calling me sooner or later," answered the older man. "It's still under investigation. Shadis is baffled. What the hell have you dragged me into, Erwin?"

Erwin shook his head. "I really don't know, Keith. I had every reason to believe one of my omega dancers and his companion had been taken to this plant, as I told you. They found nobody matching their descriptions when they searched the place?"

"No. They did find something that lends credence to your suspicions, though."

"And what was that?" pressed Erwin.

"There was a car matching the description you gave me. There were traces of blood in it and some hair. Evidence of some struggling, too. I don't know what the hell happened over there, but it looks like your boys might have been there at some point. My guess is they just changed their method of transport once they made it there. Whatever the hell happened after that is still up for debate. You never sent anyone in?"

"No, I did not." That was the truth, in essence. Erwin hadn't ordered any of his people to go into that power plant. He'd told Levi not to as well, but given the nature of the reported injuries, he could guess that order hadn't been obeyed.

"Please keep me updated when and if you hear anything else," Erwin said to his old family friend. "I'll...file a missing person report on the dancer and his friend tomorrow. Enough time will have passed by then to do it."

"Sorry they didn't find them for you," offered Shadis. "If anything else comes up, Pixis will let me know and I'll get back to you."

"I appreciate that. Goodnight, Keith."

Erwin hung up the phone, and he sighed. He turned off the television, and he turned to the bar area. "You know, I think I might have a drink, after all."

The bodyguard immediately prepared Erwin a scotch on the rocks, and he took it with thanks and walked over to the sliding glass door leading out to the balcony. Erwin didn't turn on the light. He kept his home's location guarded from most, but after the month he'd had, he thought it best not to highlight himself as a target to any potential sniper that might have discovered where his penthouse was.

Something dropped down from above as soon as Erwin set foot out on the balcony, and he immediately reached for his gun. When he saw the crouching, pale figure perched on the railing of his balcony, he retracted his grip.

"Jesus, Levi," breathed Erwin, setting his drink down on the glass-top bistro table nearby. He had a closer look at him, and his relief at seeing him was overpowered by concern. Levi's face had dried blood smeared on it. His black hair was matted with it, and there was a look in his eyes that Erwin had seen once before.

"Levi," said Erwin in a calming tone, his heart pounding hard. "Are you injured?"

The omega shook his head mutely.

"Where is Mikasa?" pressed Erwin, all too aware of the long drop his mate was perched over. He could understand why Levi wouldn't have chosen to come up to his floor the traditional way, given the mess he was.

"She went home," answered Levi dully.

Erwin approached carefully, envisioning Levi teetering and falling to his death. Whether the man scaled the building to get up here or used the fire escape, a free-fall like that could surely kill even a vampire. Erwin reached out for him slowly. "Come down off the rail, Levi."

Levi took a shuddering breath, but he didn't move. "I didn't kill anyone."

Erwin cupped Levi's soiled face in his palms, gazing into his eyes. The way he'd uttered that sentence, almost pleadingly, tore at the alpha's soul. Levi said it as a statement, but it was really more of a question.

"No, you didn't kill anyone."

The pale eyes fluttered shut, and Levi swallowed. He allowed Erwin to help him down from the rail, and he was shivering. Erwin gently urged him off to the side behind the curtains on the other side of the sliding doors, hiding him from his bodyguard's view.

"Wait here a moment," whispered Erwin. "Don't go anywhere, all right?"

Levi nodded silently, and Erwin stepped away and opened the door to poke his head inside.

"Nate, take the night off," ordered Erwin.

"You sure, boss?" the other man frowned, pointedly glancing at the spot where Erwin had gotten hit with a bullet.

"I'm sure. It will be fine. I have some company coming over tonight, and I'll be safe enough."

The bodyguard still looked uncertain, but people rarely argued with Erwin for long when he made a decision. He wished the mafia boss goodnight, and he let himself out. Erwin locked the front door securely behind Nate, and he went back out onto the balcony. Levi was still standing there where he left him, unmoving except for the little tremors occasionally sweeping through him. Erwin put an arm around his omega, urging him toward the door leading inside.

"I didn't kill anyone," Levi said again.

Erwin impulsively scooped him up, wincing a bit at the pull it caused in his injury, but unable to resist doing so. "No, you didn't kill anyone," he repeated softly, holding Levi close in a sideways bridal carry.

He brought him inside, and he carried him into the master bathroom. Easing his burden down onto his feet, Erwin turned from Levi for long enough to start up a bath for him. He turned back to his companion, and even dirty and bloody, he found him beautiful. Erwin again marveled over how vulnerable Levi got when he thought he'd taken a life. What shards of this omega's past haunted him, that Erwin hadn't learned about yet?

"Here, let me help you," he offered, choosing not to press him for information right now. He began to assist Levi in undressing as the bathwater filled up. The first order of business was getting Levi clean and comfortable and feeling safe. Questions could come after that.

* * *

After bathing with him and getting them both changed into robes, Erwin brought Levi back into his bedroom. He sat down with him, and he drew him close with one arm. Exhausted both mentally and physically, Levi put his freshly washed head on the bigger man's shoulder. He didn't have it in him to be a tough guy anymore tonight. He couldn't even muster sarcasm. Erwin's embrace was warm, and it drove away Levi's distressed shivering.

"Why didn't you contact me?" asked Erwin after a moment of silent snuggling. "And please don't say it was payback."

Levi shook his head. "My phone died. I didn't have my charger with me. Left it in my bike at Eren's place. There was no time to think about that."

"I see." Erwin stroked Levi's hair and nuzzled it. "And Mikasa? Why didn't she respond to any attempts to contact her?"

"Her phone got broke." Levi heaved a sigh, shutting his eyes.

"Oh? How?"

The dancer shrugged. "On some guy's face."

"Oh." Erwin coughed, hinting that he was resisting a laugh. "Will you tell me what happened? Did you find any sign of Eren or his friend, besides the car you believe they were in?"

"No. I never got word from you telling me what you planned to do. I made a choice. I went in looking for him."

"And Mikasa went with you?" guessed Erwin.

Levi took his head off of Erwin's shoulder, and he tilted his face back to look at the blond. "She's got a right to protect who she cares about. Don't give her shit about it, okay? Besides, I figured I could use the extra hand, since I had no idea what you were planning or if you were even going to do something."

"Levi, I'm the one that arranged for the police raid," explained Erwin. "I had to come up with an alternative to sending my people in blind. We need to keep this conflict between syndicates out of the media, if at all possible."

Levi considered that, and he nodded. "I get that. I didn't know you'd be sending the fuzz."

"The idea came to me at the last moment. What happened when you two went in there?"

"We used our powers to get in," answered Levi. "Tried to track Eren down, taking out anyone that got in our way. The trail ran cold though, and when the cops showed up, we got the hell out of there. I don't know where the hell they took those kids from there, but they were at that plant, Erwin. They were in that car."

"I believe you," assured the alpha.

Levi breathed another sigh, laying his head on Erwin's shoulder again. "After we made it to Mikasa's place, I just came straight here. I stuck to the rooftops so people wouldn't see me running around looking like I just came out of a slaughter house."

Levi yawned before he could help it, and Erwin gave him a squeeze. "I'm glad you're both all right. You're clearly exhausted, and so am I."

"Couldn't find him," mumbled Levi sleepily.

"We will," promised Erwin. "My people will be on it night and day. We can also file missing person reports, tomorrow. We'll talk about everything in the morning, Levi."

Too warn out to ask any more questions, Levi didn't resist when Erwin urged him to lie down. The alpha pulled Levi into his arms as he joined him, and then the light clicked off. As he drifted off into slumber, Levi thought of how easy it would have been to kill all of those people in that plant, rather than just injure them. He shivered in his sleep, and his lover's arms tightened around him soothingly.

* * *

-To be continued


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consider this chapter a sort of interlude between angsty plot moments. I wrote this one primarily for pure fluff and fun...along with some relationship building moments. Lots of Eruri interactions as well as some super weird Hange/Petra fluff. Oh, and uh...Hange surprised even me in this chapter. I don't know what to do with her sometimes. As an additional note, I want to thank Sekseedragonness again for lifting me up enough to keep publishing this in my moment of doubt and uncertainty. What a fantastic friend she is! Also special thanks to ShainaSenpai for pointing out my obnoxious overuse of the word "moist" in this chapter. I've addressed it and wow, I really didn't notice how freely I was using it until someone noticed and mentioned it! Yikes.

Erwin awoke before Levi, having had more rest the day before than the dancer. He opened his eyes slowly, and upon seeing his lover's face so close to his own, he smiled a little on impulse. It was a treat to wake up next to Levi. It didn't happen very often. He reached out to stroke the omega's bare shoulder, vaguely recalling slipping both their robes off of them at some point in the night to remove the clothing barrier. Erwin sobered as the events of the long two days before came back to him. Eren Jaeger was still missing, along with that school teacher the boy liked so much. Oswald Pinchet was no longer content to pull strings in the background in a subtle attempt to take over or remove other syndicates. It was turning into a war, and apparently the omegas that Erwin's family was protecting were a key factor in it.

Thinking of how vulnerable Levi's emotional state had been in last night when he first showed up, Erwin stroked the smaller man's soft, dark hair. The blow of having one of the dancers Levi worked so hard to protect abducted right under his nose must have been hard enough on him. The fear that he went too far and took another life served to wound Levi's psyche even further. He'd recovered and calmed down well enough, but seeing him like that again served as a poignant reminder to the alpha that even though Levi was a vampire, he was more human at heart than so many others Erwin knew. This wild, fey creature had a fiercely loyal and loving heart beneath his gruff exterior and profane words.

Erwin glanced down at the healing site where the bullet had been removed from him. He'd stopped wearing dressing over it by now, and the skin around the sutures looked healthy. He was feeling stronger today. Maybe he didn't even need any pain medication. He gently rolled Levi onto his back, careful not to wake him up, just yet. He slipped a muscled, powerful thigh between the omega's pale ones, and he leaned over him to kiss him softly on his parted lips. He moved on to his jaw, and he ran a hand slowly over the tight ridges of Levi's chest and abs. He touched his omega lovingly, conveying his feelings in his kisses and caresses where words seemed to fail him. He wanted to protect this man from any further loss or harm, wanted to see him smile some day without that bitterness inhibiting it.

He loved him. He loved him. Erwin could almost say it. He even mouthed it against Levi's throat as he kissed the spot where he'd marked him with his teeth before, branding him with the alpha bite. Sometimes he wished he could take that moment back and spend more time courting Levi before laying claim to him. Other times, he was glad he'd acted so decisively. This relationship with his mate was changing Erwin, slowly but steadily. It wasn't apparent to most on the surface, but he knew that he had begun to evaluate things differently, see things from new perspectives.

Levi had taught him to be more human. The irony of that made Erwin smile against the smooth, pale skin he was worshiping with his lips. He wondered if Levi would appreciate it. He would probably scoff and call him a sentimental idiot, if Erwin ever told him such thoughts aloud.

Erwin found himself taking it further. He took it slow, but his need for Levi was getting stronger with each touch and taste of him. He dragged his mouth down the omega's chest, and he swirled the tip of his tongue around the flat, pink flesh of his right nipple. It pebbled under the treatment, and Levi sighed in his sleep. Erwin felt the omega's groin harden further against his thigh. His own was already at full mast, thanks to a case of morning wood. Encouraged by the reactions, Erwin rubbed and tweaked the other nipple with his fingertips, while flicking his tongue against the one his mouth was on.

Levi's breath caught, and Erwin glanced up at his face to see his brows fork tellingly. Levi's tongue darted out to dampen his lips, and he squirmed a bit under the alpha's weight. He hadn't been averted to it the last time Erwin woke him up in a similar manner, so Erwin felt safe to keep going. He spent a while stimulating the omega's chest with lips, tongue and hands, and then he moved further south. Kissing every inch of the dancer's lithe, toned form as he did so, Erwin traced a path to Levi's belly. He kissed his navel for a few moments, reaching down to part Levi's thighs further.

Still, amazingly, Levi hadn't woken up yet. He'd been so exhausted the night before, though. He probably needed some nutrients. Erwin nearly stopped, thinking he was being selfish. Levi purred his name breathlessly then, and the alpha changed his mind. Erwin palmed Levi's balls gently, massaging them. He kissed around the shaft of Levi's arousal, softly brushing his nose against the fine, dark hair framing it. He could feel stubble growth on the outer edges of the patch where it was starting to grow back from the most recent man-scaping. Erwin certainly didn't mind that. He hadn't shaved his face for two days, and he hoped his own stubble growth wasn't too scratchy.

Inhaling Levi's scent deeply, Erwin pressed a caressing kiss against the underside of Levi's cock, just brushing his lips against it teasingly. It twitched, and the flushed cap glistened with dew in the dim morning light. It made Erwin salivate. Still, he held back. He kept rolling the omega's tightened balls in his hand, and he kissed the satiny inner thighs as Levi unconsciously parted his legs further. Erwin slipped a hand under Levi's right knee to bend it some, and then he did the same with the left. Now that his lover was completely exposed to him and spread wide for his purposes, Erwin stopped for a moment to just stare at him.

"I've never seen a finer sight than this," whispered the blond with a smirk.

Pale cheeks blushing with arousal, dark hair mussed and spread out around his head on the pillow, arms bent upwards, thighs spread wide, groin erect and displayed. He was almost tempted to look for his phone to take a picture just for his own private viewing pleasure, but Erwin thought better of it. Instead, he lowered his head between his mate's open thighs, and he kissed the tip of his shaft. He tasted the saltiness of Levi's precum, and he licked at it with a hum of approval. Levi gasped, and he finally opened his eyes.

"Thought I was...dreaming," murmured the omega dazedly.

"A good dream, I hope." Erwin met his gaze. "Preferably about me."

Levi shrugged a little in an attempt to look flippant, but his shoulders rolled sinuously, and his eyes had that smoky, inviting look in them. "Not bad," he whispered, and then he bit his lip to hold back a moan as Erwin resumed massaging his sack. He didn't try to push the alpha away or tell him to stop. He lay there almost submissively, letting Erwin do as he wished. His hips began to roll gently, his sensitive glans brushing against Erwin's teasing lips in a silent request.

Making Levi feel safe...that was ultimately the key to taming the wildness in him, but it was only temporary. Erwin didn't fool himself into thinking he had the upper hand, even when his omega was as compliant as this. Levi was _letting_ him take the lead, as Erwin found he usually did whenever he wanted to give control to him. Levi even seemed to like being dominated, but it had to come with the assurance that his partner would stop without any argument, the moment he said the word.

It pleased Erwin that he had learned so much about Levi in that respect, but he still had a ways to go before he fully earned the dancer's trust. He felt he was on the right track now, though.

"More," breathed Levi—not in a demanding tone, but softly pleading.

Erwin obliged, deciding against teasing him or playing disciplinary games. This encounter should be about connection, trust and comfort. He took Levi into his mouth slowly, sliding his lips down over the girth of him, molding his tongue around the omega's shaft. He glanced up as he withdrew and did it again, watching Levi's composure steadily crack and shatter under the pleasure he was giving him. The omega's chest rose and fell faster. His hands gripped at the pillow beneath his head...and those hypnotic eyes, lit from within, stayed fixated on Erwin.

The alpha expected to hear his mate utter something vulgar, as Levi tended to do often during sex. It didn't happen, though. With his raven brows drawn slightly and his lips parted and wet with saliva, Levi kept watching Erwin. The only sounds he made were hitching gasps, soft moans and to speak Erwin's name every few breaths.

Erwin started to suck him off a little faster, and he shifted so that he could maneuver his free hand beneath the one fondling Levi's balls. He couldn't look away from his mate. The connection he wanted was definitely there, stronger than expected. He could sense Levi's acceptance of him, his trust in him. He hoped that Levi could in turn sense his devotion.

Erwin stroked the smaller man's slick-coated entrance, and he increased the suction of his mouth. Levi shuddered, finally breaking his gaze as his eyes squeezed shut. He didn't shout a curse or make an announcement; he just came long and hard down Erwin's throat, his raspy moans filling the room. Levi's fingers combed through Erwin's hair, but they didn't tug. He stroked them through the golden locks slowly, trembling as he rode his climax out.

Erwin swallowed every drop, and he sucked the omega clean before changing his position and stretching out on top of him. As his hips settled between Levi's thighs and his aching arousal pressed against his nethers, the alpha paused and gazed down at his mate. He waited for Levi to catch his breath and look up at him, holding ready above him without entering. Levi didn't nod or speak, but there was a softening in his gaze that told Erwin he had permission.

Reaching down, Erwin positioned himself carefully, and he eased in a little at a time. Levi made a soft sound of pleasure that seemed to be tinged with relief as he was filled, and he put his arms around the alpha's neck, spreading wider for him. Erwin's brows tensed up, and his breath escaped in a rush at the answering relief he felt. He closed his eyes briefly, withdrew with excruciating languor, and then slid in again. When he opened his eyes to gaze at Levi again, Erwin parted his lips.

_~Say it. Just say it, Smith. It's the perfect time.~_

But like his mate, Erwin was not used to admitting love out loud. Instead, he spoke a husky, heartfelt promise to Levi.

"We'll find him."

Levi stared back at him, the points of his elongated canines peeking out from behind his parted lips. His breath caught as Erwin thrust again.

"Do you believe me?" asked the blond, dropping all of his walls in that moment to try and show Levi how much he meant it, and how determined he was to make it happen.

Levi nodded, swallowing. His hands slid over Erwin's shoulders, the fingers kneading the thick muscles. "Yeah. I believe you."

* * *

Some time later, Levi sat out on Erwin's balcony nursing a cup of tea, staring off at the city's horizon with dazed eyes. He contemplated over what he could only describe as a spiritual experience. Forming the pair-bond with Erwin had been undoubtedly intense, but frightening. He'd been opened up and made vulnerable without any say over it, but their encounter earlier was entirely different. No questions of trust, no unsafe feelings, no need for walls. Maybe _that_ had been the true pair-bonding, and what they'd experienced when they became a mated pair was just the precursor.

He felt calm, at least about Erwin. This was the first time Levi could truly say that with any conviction. He saw his mate come out onto the balcony from the corner of his eye and sit down beside him in the other chair. Levi turned to look at him, and a startling impulse to smile struck him. Being unused to uninhibited smiles, his mouth twitched, and it felt fucked up. Levi sipped his drink and adjusted the shades Erwin had lent to him. The sky was overcast today, but it was still bright out enough to bother Levi's eyes without protection.

"How is your injury?" asked the omega after a moment.

Erwin parted his robe to have a glance at it, and he nodded. "It looks good. As long as I don't strain it too much, it doesn't bother me much, anymore."

Levi glanced at him. "And you don't think you might have strained it a little earlier?"

Erwin smiled at him. "We took it slow and easy, Levi. Far gentler than our usual encounters."

Levi fought a blush. Yes, this morning had been exceptional. Not the sort of sex he was used to having. It wasn't boring by far, though. He looked at Erwin full-on, wondering if the other man had felt the same connection he had, or if he'd just imagined it.

"What is it?" questioned Erwin, tilting his head slightly. He sipped his coffee, looking entirely too sensual and elegant in the cloudy, morning light.

Levi felt his cheeks heating. Nobody had ever made him feel bashful before, and it annoyed him. He parted his lips, and he hesitated. He didn't know how to convey his feelings, didn't know how to tell the big blond tree that he was head-over-heels for him now.

"You need to shave."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Levi nearly palmed himself in the face. God, how he sucked.

Erwin gave a soft snort of amusement, and he rubbed his whiskered jaw. "I suppose I do. Would you be averted to helping me with that, after we've both finished our beverages?"

"What, you need a baby-sitter to shave your mug?"

Levi was still blushing. It made him want to squirm.

"Let's call it curiosity," excused Erwin gently. His vivid blue eyes were caressing on the omega. "Honestly, I've never had the pleasure of knowing what it was like to have the one I love shave my face for me."

Both of them froze. Levi had his teacup halfway to his lips, and he stared openly at Erwin. The blond seemed equally flustered. He sat there like a perplexed golden lion in his chair, staring back at Levi quizzically. He obviously hadn't intended to make use of the "L" word, and now Erwin didn't seem to know how to follow up.

Levi was the one to finally break the ice and speak up. His voice sounded soft and vulnerable to his own ears. "Maybe nobody's ever cared enough before to try."

_~I love you too, you creepy blond giant.~_

Erwin's tension faded a bit, and a faint smile quirked his lips. "Then this would be an interesting new experience. Is that a 'yes', Levi?"

Levi fidgeted in his seat, feeling like a kid. He didn't know what to do with himself. When Erwin grinned at him slyly, the omega's face heated further. "If it will help you look less scruffy, sure."

Erwin's smile broadened. There was an adoring look in his eye that made Levi want to groan. He'd really set himself up, and now there was no escape.

* * *

Petra came down to the kitchen of the big house that she was now sharing residency with the other dancers. It was a nice place, well outside of city limits. If she didn't think of why they were all staying there, she could almost think of it as a sort of vacation resort home. Mr. Smith and his syndicate really spared no expense to make the dancers comfortable during their displacement, and Petra was grateful for that. She even had her own bedroom. Some of the other girls shared rooms with each other, but Petra was given a large one of her own—probably due to her status in the pecking order.

She was intending to just make herself a sandwich, but the ginger omega stopped in surprise upon seeing Hange busily cooking away. Petra blinked at the alpha female, words of greeting freezing on her lips. Hange said she would be coming by every day to check in on them, but Petra surely didn't expect to find her cooking in the kitchen.

"Miss Zoë?"

Hange paused in the act of mashing some potatoes, looking up from her task to smile in greeting at Petra. "Well hello there, Sunshine. How are you feeling today?"

Petra approached curiously, watching the taller woman busily stirring the bowl she held tucked up to her chest. "I'm getting a late start. I usually don't get up so late. What are you doing?"

Hange glanced down at the bowl, and she shrugged. "Cooking. Isn't it obvious?"

Petra clamped down on a smile. "Well, yes, but that's a lot of mashed potatoes for one person!"

"Who said it was just for me?" Hange winked at her, and she scooped up another dollop of butter from the tub sitting on the counter island, adding it to the steaming mixture. "I'm feeding everyone, today."

Petra was floored. Checking in on them was one thing, but cooking them all meals was going above and beyond, in her eyes. "Not to sound ungrateful, but why? You have to have a busy schedule, Miss Zoë!"

Hange set the bowl down on the counter behind her, and she turned back around to face the dancer. She adjusted her brown-framed glasses, and she peered at Petra with a somber look on her handsome features.

"First off, it's 'Hange' for you. Enough of this formal crap."

Petra blushed. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize," corrected Hange, her wine-colored gaze softening on the omega with fondness. "I know you're just trying to be respectful. There's no need, though. Now, as for why I'm doing this: Yule is tomorrow."

Petra had forgotten all about the upcoming holiday. "Oh. I didn't realize. My calendar is a little off." She frowned in puzzlement. "But, what does that have to do with anything?"

Hange chuckled. "You said that one of your wishes is to have holiday gatherings with family and friends, remember? I'm making an early holiday dinner for everyone. I've got a ham, some candied yams and a spiced bean casserole baking in the oven. We're all going to sit down to a nice meal together; hopefully with some of my associates, if they show up on time like I told them."

Petra's jaw dropped. Now that it was called to her attention, she could smell the enticing aroma of the food baking in the oven. She stared at the taller woman with amazement as Hange turned around and added a bit of salt and pepper to the big bowl of mashed potatoes she was preparing. She came up behind Hange, leaning over to the side to watch.

"Hange, you didn't have to do this."

The alpha shrugged. "I know. I wanted to, though. You've all been through hell, and I thought this might perk you up a little bit. I can't make all your dreams come true, Petra, but I can at least give you this."

Petra bit her lip, feeling the sting of tears. Hange warned her that she was a "very bad girl", but right now, the woman looked like a saint to her eyes. Nobody had ever made such a kind gesture to her before. Nobody had ever tried as hard as Hange did to bring a smile to her face.

Hange was oblivious to the plethora of emotions crossing Petra's features, busy with her cooking task. "Now, bear it in mind that I don't usually cook. I'm relying on some recipes I looked up online, and I'm flying by the seat of my pants. Hopefully this meal won't end with all of us rushing for the bathroom at once. Erwin and Levi should be coming over shortly, so—"

She never got the chance to finish her sentence, because Petra grabbed Hange by the shoulder, spun her around and flung her arms around her neck. The alpha woman's glasses bumped against Petra's face as the dancer cupped the back of her head to yank it down, connecting their lips with a suddenness that had Hange clearly taken by surprise. Petra kissed her deeply, expressing all of her gratitude, her affection and her passion for this woman. She heard Hange make a low, purring sound in her throat, and then Petra was pulled tightly up against the alpha's tall, lean frame.

Hange's tongue plunged into Petra's mouth, and the omega welcomed it with enthusiasm. Sucking on the dampness, she rubbed against Hange with a faint whimper sounding in the back of her throat. It wasn't fair. She'd found the one she wanted, but they were holding back. Petra knew that Hange wouldn't claim her as her omega...not without a battle. Hange Zoë could call herself a villain all she liked, but the woman was damnably chivalrous.

When their lips finally parted, both shiny with one another's saliva, Hange stared down at Petra with wonderment. Breathing fast and hard, she swallowed, and she spoke in a husky voice.

"I nearly dropped my potatoes."

Petra huffed a giggle, and she smoothed aside a wayward lock of rich, reddish-brown hair that had fallen over Hange's bespeckled left eye. "You didn't, though. Of all the things to say when someone jumps you, Hange. Are potatoes all you can think about, right now?"

"No." Hange smirked. "They were just conveniently there. I'm _actually_ thinking that kisses like that threaten to make me forget the promise I made to myself about not ravishing you."

Petra's heart skipped a beat. Maybe Hange wasn't as unobtainable as she thought. "What would it take to get you the rest of the way there?"

Hange took a slow, steadying breath. "Petra..."

"I'm not afraid," informed the dancer, draping her arms around the taller female's neck again. She rubbed her nose endearingly against Hange's. "You make me happy. I'm very willing, Hange."

Hange groaned softly, her hands spanning the petite ginger's waist. She rubbed Petra's sides, and then she cupped the dancer's bottom, squeezing it as though she couldn't help herself. "I'm afraid I can't promise to _keep_ you happy, my dear. I've given you a good impression because you haven't seen my bad side. It's all fun and games when Hange can spare a little time and attention, but what happens when that isn't the case? How would you feel if my work takes up too much of my time? Would you still think I'm such a hero if I commit myself to you, but can't spare more than a couple days a week giving you the attention you deserve?"

Petra shook her head. "Stop it. Do you know how many married couples barely see one another because of work schedules? I would understand. I know how complicated your life is. I know you have a lot of responsibilities, both with the family and with your medical practice on the side."

Hange started to say something, and Petra pressed two fingers against her lips gently to stall her. "I would rather be with someone I know I can trust and love, even if I don't get to see them as often as I'd like. I would take that over being with someone I just settled for that I could see every day, Hange."

The alpha grinned crookedly beneath Petra's fingertips, and she spoke in a low voice. "Are you asking for my hand in marriage, my sweet?"

Petra flushed pink. She hadn't meant to come on _that_ strong. Was she really behaving so desperately?

"I...no. That wasn't what I meant. I mean, maybe eventually that could be a thing, but I was just trying to tell you that I understand your time is valuable. I'm not a complete diva that has to have her alpha's attention at all given moments, and I would...I just...want to be with you."

She was making it worse. Hange looked like she was about to burst into laughter, and Petra turned away with a groan. "I'm saying everything wrong!"

Hange grabbed her as the omega tried to walk away, halting her retreat. She turned Petra back around to face her, searched her eyes for a moment and then embraced her so tightly it took the smaller woman's breath away.

"I think that's the most romantic, sexy thing anyone's ever said to me," mumbled Hange against Petra's hair. She kissed the crown of her head. "And even if it was an accidental proposal, I'm sold."

Petra's eyes widened. Smushed against Hange's chest, she couldn't really speak, even if she could have found the words to respond. She'd just meant to explain to Hange that she didn't care how busy her schedule was, and she understood that her work sometimes took her to dark places. Somehow, it had turned into something much deeper...something she now realized was far more serious than expected. This woman holding her so tightly was not nearly as frivolous as she appeared.

"I'm so confused," admitted Petra when Hange's hold on her loosened enough for her to draw breath. She looked up at her shyly. "What just happened?"

"You asked me to marry you," explained Hange with a twinkle in her eye. "I said 'yes'. It's really the only way I could allow myself to act on my feelings for you, dear. Of course, if I've completely misunderstood, you should correct me right away, and I won't pursue the matter further."

Petra's mind was completely boggled. She hadn't meant to propose marriage, of course. She studied her companion, unsure of whether Hange was being serious or just making fun of her awkward attempts to seduce her. The warmth in the other female's eyes seemed genuine. There was more between them than physical attraction, and as insane as it seemed, Petra thought Hange meant what she'd said.

"Please don't tease me," whispered Petra at last.

"I'm dead serious," Hange assured her. "If you're not entirely certain about your feelings for me, you'd best say so soon. I don't want to put undue pressure on you, Petra, but I meant what I said when I told you that the only way I can back out of my decision not to bed you would be to commit fully to you. I'm sorry to take it to such extremes, my dear, but I'm sure you realize by now that I'm not a lukewarm person in anything I do."

Shaken, Petra continued to stare at her. Hange's expression was sincere, her gaze intense on the omega. She meant it. Dear God, this woman was really serious about marrying her!

"Take some time to think about it," advised Hange softly. She stroked Petra's hair. "I've held back for this long. I can wait."

"I just...it seems so sudden," admitted Petra. "I wasn't expecting it, not even from the most unpredictable person I've ever met!"

Hange chuckled. "It was a spur of the moment decision, but my mind is made up. I'm sorry the timing is so odd. In fact, I insist you think on it for a few days before giving me your answer. I really sprung a wild card on you."

With that said, Hange turned away to finish up with the mashed potatoes and cover the bowl. Petra watched as the alpha checked on the food baking in the oven, and the dancer wondered if she might be losing her mind.

* * *

Levi stepped out of the car with his companion, looking up at the three story house currently serving as his fellow dancers' home. His brows went up a bit, and he turned to look at Erwin as the blond closed his car door. Dressed in a sharp combination of black dress slacks, a white button-up shirt with a collar, and his long white coat, Erwin cut a suave and attractive picture. Levi himself was dressed casual formal, in a gray sweater, black pants and oxfords. They'd swung by his apartment before coming here, so that he could change his clothes for the dinner gathering.

"How much is this setting you back?" wondered Levi aloud.

Erwin shrugged, glancing at the stately country home. "I got a good deal on this place. I bought it last year with the intention of using it as a vacation home for myself and the cartel. My plans were to eventually organize a holiday for all of us, but honestly, I feel I didn't think it through so well. There's no telling when business will slow enough for me to follow through with that plan. At least the place is getting some use."

Levi watched the taller man as Erwin approached him, and the cold breeze ruffled the alpha's golden hair. Nobody should look that fucking attractive. Now in addition to being so goddamned handsome, the man was showing Levi even more sides of himself that made attractive personality traits. Some might say Erwin Smith was a villain, due to the nature of his lifestyle. Levi supposed that was true; Erwin probably killed more people in his life than bore thinking about. Still, there was a generous side to the man, a side most people would never know about. He treated his underlings more like family than employees. He'd taken in the staff of the Omega Experience, protected them from harm. Erwin could claim it was all just in the interest of looking out for his investment, but his actions spoke louder than his words.

"Are you all right?" pressed Erwin, reaching out to rub Levi's shoulder. "You're looking at me as though I've spooked you, somehow."

Levi swallowed to work some moisture back into his mouth. He schooled is expression back into its usual, opaque mask. "I'm just hungry."

Erwin smiled in an understanding manner. "Well, by the sounds of it, Hange was cooking up quite a meal for us. I doubt you'll go hungry for very long." He leaned over to speak in Levi's ear. "The master bedroom is reserved for us. If you need something more than what Hange serves us, I can provide that for you after dinner."

It didn't occur to Levi to even request drinking from Erwin, though this wasn't the first time the man had offered since Levi and Mikasa stormed that plant trying to find Eren. Normally, he could go for longer without feeding, but he'd expended so much of his energy trying to rescue his young charge.

"I don't think we should do that yet," said Levi softly. He looked his mate up an down. Erwin's color was good, and he seemed to be recovering well from his injury. Even so, he probably needed all of his blood right now.

"I can take it," insisted the alpha.

Levi raised a brow. "Eager, aren't you?" He smirked a bit, recalling Erwin's reaction the last time he'd fed on him. Some people got such a sexual thrill out of sharing their blood with a vampire that it could become addicting. Levi actually knew one guy years ago that basically became a "bite junky", and he literally offered to pay Levi to bite him when the dancer tried to end their feeding arrangement.

Erwin shrugged, seeming un-apologetic in his interest. "To feel your lips on me that way again? Of course. It was a singularly unique experience. It was almost as good as sex."

His answer didn't surprise Levi, but the little thrill it gave the vampire was unexpected. He didn't think he had any particularly notable biting skills, but perhaps he was wrong about that. Feeding on someone could be painful or erotic for the recipient, depending on how the encounter was approached. Naturally, biting an unwilling party tended to bring discomfort. If they knew it was coming and care was taken, however...

Levi's fangs grew in his mouth, and he cursed softly and put a hand over it. "Christ, you just gave me a mouth boner."

Erwin's eyes widened briefly in surprise, and then he tossed his head back and laughed outright. Levi watched him impatiently, his cheeks going pink with a rush of heat. He wasn't trying to be cute or funny, he was serious. He couldn't show up in front of the others with a pair of honking big fangs in his mouth.

"Cool it, would you?" Levi demanded when Erwin kept snickering. "It's fucking embarrassing when this happens."

Erwin sobered with visible difficulty, clearing his throat. Though his expression became solemn and apologetic, his eyes were lit up with lingering humor. "Forgive me. I wasn't trying to make fun." He mumbled a follow-up statement under his breath. "You're just so damned cute..."

Levi sighed. It was damned hard to stay mad at the man when he said things like that. Erwin somehow managed to make him feel cherished all the time, in ways Levi was still trying to learn to deal with. He'd never been with such an adoring partner before.

"Let's go inside," suggested the omega, fighting back his mortification and the absurd shyness he was feeling in reaction to his mate's behavior. "The food could be getting cold, and I've already got my doubts about Hange's culinary skills."

"I'm sure the food will be fine," soothed Erwin, putting an arm around him. He looked over his shoulder at his parked sedan. "I almost wish I'd had Nile drive us here. He could have joined us."

Levi shrugged. Erwin's generosity even extended to his fucking chauffeur. It was amazing. "You said he's got a family, right? I'm sure he appreciates having Yule and its eve off more than he'd appreciate being invited to a mobster dinner."

"Hmm. Dinner with gangsters, strippers and bartenders," mused Erwin softly, leading the smaller man into step with him. "That would make for an interesting news article."

Levi snorted. "Yeah, right. I can see the headline now: 'Guess who's for dinner: local mafia enjoys smutty holiday gathering'. The question is, who are they eating out?"

Erwin choked subtly, and Levi couldn't help but smirk at the reaction to his clever sarcasm.

* * *

"All right everyone, find your seats!" Hange interrupted the various conversations happening in the expansive sitting room to announce that dinner was ready. Everyone was there, from stripper to syndicate member to bartender. It was a full house, and she was now even gladder that she'd decided to whip up some pasta salad and pumpkin soup in addition to the rest of the food she'd cooked. She read that it was better to cook too much and have leftovers than to not make enough to feed everyone, and she agreed with that logic. Thank goodness Petra, Sasha and Historia helped her out in the end, and Reiner went with Farlan and Jean on an ice run to ensure they'd have enough to keep all of the wine chilled.

People got up and filed into the dining area, where Mikasa had thoughtfully set up and covered a folding table and lawn furniture to accommodate more people. Hange ushered Erwin to the head of the main dining table, insisting on the boss getting the "royal chair". She snatched Erwin's cigar out of his mouth with a quick admonishment as he started to sit down.

"No smoking at the dinner table, you. I'll just put this out for you to finish later."

Erwin sighed with good-natured humor, allowing the eccentric woman to take his stogy for extinguishment. He eyed the spread laid out on the holly-print tablecloth, visibly impressed with Hange's efforts.

"This looks wonderful, Hange. You've outdone yourself."

She grinned, pausing on the way to the kitchen to put Erwin's cigar out in an ashtray. "Don't praise me just yet, dear. You haven't tasted anything."

"Tell me you tasted it while you were cooking," Dita said, frowning with suspicious interest at the plumb pudding by the centerpiece of the third table.

"Of course I did! In fact, I'm already half-full from taste testing my work." Hange patted her belly with a grin. "I don't think it came out half-bad, if I do say so myself. The green bean casserole might have a tad too much black pepper for some taste buds, though."

"I like spicy food," announced Isabel with a grin. "I'm sure it all turned out great, Miss Hange!"

"Where the hell does she find the energy?" mumbled Bozado. He sat down next to Petra, and he started scooping up servings of the various dishes onto his plate.

"Well, she did have a little help," chuckled Petra. "Hange is still pretty amazing, though. She already had half of this prepared before we started lending a hand. She started making it all this morning, so she's been cooking all day! Please keep that in mind, sir."

Oluo smiled at the ginger with obvious appreciation. His gaze traveled Petra's small form lingeringly, taking in the lilac-colored dinner gown she was wearing for the occasion. Petra's hair was pinned back with a peacock feather comb, lined with sparkly rhinestones.

"You really look pretty," complimented Oluo. He tensed a little when Hange poked her head around the corner to give him a warning, cold stare. "What? I was just saying she looks nice, not groping her!"

Levi shook his head, spooning up some of the yams. Everyone went quiet with expectation, but he didn't add anything verbally. His hooded glance at Oluo expressed a hint of pity, but he was practicing some uncommon grace and avoiding scathing comments about Bozado's obvious crush on Petra.

"Well, this all looks great," Nanaba tactfully commented, redirecting attention to the food laid out for them. "I can't decide where to start. Mike, would you mind putting some of those mashed potatoes on my plate for me?"

Mike nodded silently, taking the plate extended to him from the opposite side of the table.

"Give her some sausage too," suggested Levi absently, buttering up a fluffy roll.

Again, the dining room went quiet. Everyone stopped in the process of gathering servings to stare at Levi with wide eyes. He paused, lifting a brow as he scanned his rapt audience. "What? There's fucking sausage right there next to the potatoes. What the hell did you think I meant? Never mind...I can see the answer to that on your faces. Damn, you people have smutty minds."

"Excuse me," coughed Marco politely. The waiter's freckled face was bright pink. "I'll be right back!"

Marco got up and retreated from the dining room, heading for the nearest bathroom. Ymir wasn't so tactful about hiding her reaction to Levi's Freudian slip. She laughed ugly, and her girlfriend beside her was blushing hard.

"Uh...Nanaba?" Mike questioned, glancing at her uncertainly with a scoop of mashed potato poised over the plate she'd given him.

"I would love some...sausage," announced Nanaba, smirking.

"Hah!" Hange came back in at that moment, untying her apron to take her place at Petra's other side. "Nanaba's been in need of a good hunk of meat for a while, now."

Nanaba speared the other female with a warning look.

"Oh honey, you know you need some sausage," Hange mercilessly proclaimed, grinning like a cat. She forked up a serving of the baked ham, winking at her blonde associate.

"This is the dirtiest meal I've ever had," Connie blurted from one of the other tables, laughing. "You guys aren't even _trying_ to keep it subtle, are you?"

Mike finished putting the mashed potato serving on Nanaba's plate, and he selected one of the top sausages on the serving dish to place it next to them. "Big enough for you, Nanaba?"

For all her apparent discipline, Nanaba was beginning to lose her composure. She nodded, picked up her napkin and dabbed her lips as she set down her glass of water. "It will do. H-Hange...what kind of sausage is it, by the way?"

"Bond," stated Hange immediately. When Mike eyeballed her, she cleared her throat. "I mean Bratwurst. I cooked it in beer according to the recipe instructions. It turned out pretty good!"

"Dude, I can't even..." Connie got up quickly, developing an uncontrolled case of snickers. "Where's the nearest other bathroom?"

"Three doors down from the first one in the hallway," obliged Hitch with a catty grin. "Last door on the left."

"The first bathroom is free now," Marlo said, coming back into the dining room. He looked around at the amused faces. "Um, are we still on the sausage thing?"

"Yeah, the dick references are real subtle," Jean answered. He put an arm around Rachel, smirking at his waiter friend. "This dinner sure as hell isn't PG rated."

"I've scheduled some porn to watch in the sitting room after we eat," Hange laughed. "Oh Marco, don't look so worried. I'm kidding. We're just planning on spanking Levi after dessert."

Levi stared at her. "Good luck with that."

Hange wasn't the least bit intimidated. "Well, the birthday boy needs a little smack for good luck! It's traditional. Don't worry, Erwin; I'm leaving the honors to you."

Erwin's startled blue gaze slid to Levi, and he immediately sobered. "Your birthday?"

Realizing she'd just possibly gotten her boss in trouble, Hange winced. "You...didn't know his birthday is tomorrow?"

She couldn't believe the man didn't already know that. Erwin was so damned thorough, and he'd been researching Levi since before he finally got him into his bed. How could he possibly not know the grump's birthday was coming up?

Erwin looked genuinely disconcerted. "Things have been rather busy," he excused. He looked at Levi, and the powerful blond alpha suddenly reminded Hange of a guilty child coming home with a bad report card from school. "Levi, forgive me. It never even occurred to me."

To his credit, Levi was graceful about it. He looked a little stiff and uncomfortable under everyone's startled observation, and he had a sip of the wine Hange had poured for him earlier. "It's fine. It's just another day. It's not like I've talked about my birthday with you, and I'm not big on celebration anyhow."

Erwin seemed to forget anyone else was even in the room with them. He reached across the table to lay a big hand over Levi's free one, his tanned skin contrasting with the omegas, yet somehow complimenting it, as well. "No, it isn't fine. This is something I should have been paying attention to. You're my omega, and neglecting such a special day isn't acceptable."

Now everyone's attention was firmly fixated on the couple. Hange leaned forward in her seat, and her hand unconsciously reached for Petra's under the table as she waited to see what Levi would say in response to Erwin's expressed regret. Levi was evidently very conscious of the audience, and his pale features flushed. He put his drink down, picked up his fork and focused his attention on his plate. Pushing his yams around absently with his fork, he spoke in a soft voice.

"You'd think it was something life-threatening. Look at you, all fucking worried and contrite. Cut it out; I don't care about my birthday, all right?"

Sasha was the first to break the deafening silence that followed. "Oh my gawd, you two are so cute together."

That seemed to lift the heavy veil of anticipation. Levi rolled his eyes in her direction, while Erwin flushed boyishly. Before the head dancer could make what was surely going to be a sarcastic response to her observation, Ymir spoke up.

"No kidding. You two ought to be married."

Both Levi and Erwin stared at her. Connie came back in at that moment, wiping his hands off on his pants. He stopped when he saw how everyone was staring at the boss and Levi, and his hazel eyes flicked between the couple and the others.

"Okay, I must have missed something juicy."

* * *

Dinner proceeded after a brief hitch. Erwin still felt utterly terrible for not realizing that his own mate's day of birth was on the horizon, but he didn't assign any blame for Hange bringing it up. He should have known, and that was that. All that he could do now was try to retain some semblance of dignity and make up for his blunder. There he was, Mr. Observant, and he hadn't even realized Levi's birthday was coming up. Erwin made no excuses for himself, though if he were the sort to do so, he would have reminded himself that he had a lot on his plate, and business was tragically, hilariously overwhelming.

Erwin was brutally reminded of this fact when he saw how daintily Mina Carolina was eating, noticed how sad she looked. He paused in his own eating, wiping his lips off with his napkin. Softly, he spoke to the young woman.

"Mina, you have a very sad look on your face. Are you all right?"

She appeared startled for a moment, and she lowered the spoonful of pumpkin soup she'd been preparing to sip. She glanced away, biting her lip. "I'm sorry, sir. I was just thinking of Eren. I wish he was here with us."

Though spoken quietly, her comment wasn't lost on the rest of the room. Sitting at the third table with Jean, Rachel and Bertolt, Mikasa paused in her eating to frown. Her eyes briefly met Erwin's across the distance, flicked to Levi's now frozen expression, and then looked away.

Erwin felt a muscle in his jaw twitch. He certainly hadn't forgotten Eren Jaeger or his absence. Everyone had been skirting the issue tonight, but Mina—bless her sensitive heart—had reminded them of the absence of one of the most notable dancers in the club. Erwin checked a sigh. The subject had been bound to come up sooner or later, and now he could feel Levi's calculating gaze on him. Mike was staring at him too, not judging, but clearly curious to see how he would react. Erwin couldn't blame him. People wanted to know what he intended to do, whether because they loved Eren, or because they were interested in seeing how Erwin intended to deal with the situation. Hange slurped her soup, being the only one to keep eating after Mina's comment was made. Her deeply intelligent, brown-red gaze was steady on Erwin.

 _~Well?~_ Hange's eyes seemed to say, _~The girl just pointed out the elephant in the room. What are you going to do now?~_

Erwin steeled himself. He owed it to his family and his mate— _especially_ his mate—to reassure them all that he was still in control. He'd been wondering what sort of gift he could possibly give to Levi for his birthday, when the man was so closed off and didn't seem to want anything. Now he had his answer.

"Eren Jaeger and his friend Armin will be found," vowed Erwin sincerely. "We are going to do whatever it takes to locate them both, bring them home and ensure that this doesn't happen again. Nobody in this family is ever going to be taken again. This is my promise to all of you."

He looked at Mina, who was starting to tear up. "We'll have another meal together when Eren is safely home again. A celebratory one. I swear this to you now."

Mina gave him a trembling smile. She sniffed, and she nodded. "Thank you, sir."

Quietly and thoughtfully, Mikasa resumed eating. Levi did the same, and Erwin could now see the family resemblance between them. Both composed despite his knowledge that Eren's absence was tearing them both up, Erwin thought there were some traits that must be inherent in that bloodline.

"Oh shit."

Erwin glanced up from his meal at Hange upon hearing her exclamation. There was a look of profound dawning on her hawkish features. She actually looked a bit embarrassed. Erwin straightened up, immediately wondering if she'd just thought of something that might help them track down Eren sooner. "What is it, Hange?"

She sighed, and she dropped her forehead into her palm. "I never invited Kenny to this dinner."

Now it was Hange's turn to get stared at by everyone.

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn, Hange. Just when I think you can't be more unpredictable. I totally forgot about Kenny too, though. I wasn't expecting you to remember at the last minute, during such a somber moment. *boggles*
> 
> Seriously people, the Hange muse has always been a loose cannon for me. She practically writes herself. First with the surprise holiday dinner, then the marriage proposal, then "Whoops, I forgot someone on the guest list" while everyone's worrying about Eren. Good God. I think the Undertaker is more predictable at times than Hange is.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, someone made a really kickass musical mix based on this story, featuring various artists! Please consider having a listen and supporting them! Check it out at 8tracks.com/thanxtos/jfc

He could feel his ribs strain as he took a breath. That one really hurt. Eren blocked out the pain of his recent beating—focused on his torso so as not to damage his face. Panting harshly, he lifted his head to glare through sweaty, disheveled bangs at his tormentors. He snarled like a wild thing, his mind focused on one single person.

"Where is he?" choked the omega for perhaps the seventh time since he got physically disciplined.

He couldn't say how much time had passed since he and Armin got overpowered and taken from his home. He wanted to say it had only been a few days, but it felt like longer. After the boat they were on reached its destination, Eren and Armin got cuffed, blindfolded and manhandled onto a train. That ride had lasted for at least a day, and when it ended and their captors dragged Armin off separately, Eren fought them with all his might. Screaming, spitting and striking out with every body part not hampered down, Eren put up a pretty good fight. Being separated from Armin was too much for him. He could have almost accepted what was happening to him, if it weren't for the fact that his gentle-hearted beta was caught up in it with him.

Eren coughed, and he tasted blood in his mouth. They'd really beaten him good. He ignored the pain, along with the concerning tinny flavored phlegm coming up. "Where did you take him?"

The two burly guards responsible for Eren's bruised and battered condition glanced at one another. The one with the dark buzz cut on the left shook his head, marveling over Eren's stubbornness.

"Shit, he's still asking for more. They usually buckle after the first few kicks."

Shaking with a combination of weakness and helpless rage, Eren glared at the man. He got to his feet unsteadily, practically dragging himself up bit by bit. He used the tiled wall to assist him, pushing away from it with a little grunt as he made it to full height. He wiped the bloody spittle from his lips, staring his tormentors down with a stubborn boldness they obviously weren't used to getting from captive omegas.

"I'll never cooperate if anything happens to him," promised Eren. "The first dick someone tries to ram down my throat will get bitten in half. I'll fight it with everything I have in me if anyone tries to mount me, and I don't care how much they pay for it. Without assurance of my friend's safety, I'm going to fight every attempt you people throw at me, and I might just take a few of you down with me!"

The shorter of the two alpha captors actually looked a little impressed. He blew a soft whistle, and he met his companion's curious gaze. They didn't say anything, but something seemed to pass between them, and they arrived at some quiet decision. They walked away from Eren to speak softly to each other. The one with the buzz-cut looked back at the omega with a warning frown, pointing at the tazer he kept on his belt as a reminder that they could do more to him if they had to, without leaving further marks.

Eren waited with a parched mouth. He shouldn't be thinking of water at a time like this, but the last time he recalled having some to drink was just before they'd dragged Armin away from him. He was sick from dehydration, pained from their physical abuse of him. Still, he wasn't going to give in. For Armin's sake, he couldn't.

"Come on," said the taller alpha at last after having a brief, hushed talk with his companion. "Don't try anything, kiddo. The only reason you're still breathing right now is because you can still fetch a fair price. I don't care how fucking pretty you are; you're trouble."

Eren bit back the scathing remarks he wanted to spout off. He was finally getting somewhere. He had to at least find out if Armin was safe, and if it meant giving in to ensure the blond's safety, he would do it.

* * *

"Oh God."

Armin couldn't stop the words from flowing past his lips when he saw Eren dragged into the chamber like an animal. With both wrists cuffed behind his back, a metal collar around his throat and a chain leash leading from it, Eren was being treated like some rabid dog. Armin stood up from his seat beside the mafia don behind all of this mess, though he hadn't been given permission to move. He stared at his proud, fierce omega friend with a pained, sick expression. Eren was dragged before the large recliner in the common room of the manor they were in, where Oswald Pinchet sat talking with some of his high ranking captains. The man ceased his conversation and looked at the struggling omega with a little frown. His light brown eyes traveled Eren's form assessingly, and he stirred the cocktail in his hands. Middle-aged and graying, the king pen had a strong build and collar-length brown hair, shot through with silver.

"So he hasn't settled down yet," guessed Pinchet when Eren's keepers shoved the young man to his knees on the polished wooden floor. "Figures I'd end up getting the one that's a troublemaker."

"Sorry boss," apologized the alpha guard with the buzz-cut. "He's been asking about his little friend, here."

"Armin, are you all right?" Eren was ignoring everyone around them, looking the blond up and down. "Nobody's hurt you or tried anything with you, have they?"

Armin glanced at the man that had basically dubbed himself their "owner". He shook his head. So far, Pinchet only had Armin cleaned up and dressed in fresh clothing. Aside from being forcibly scrubbed down by others and having a collar fitted on him, he'd made it this far without anyone violating him.

"I'm okay," assured Armin. "Mr. Pinchet needs a translator to help make his business smoother with foreign associates. I happen to be multi-lingual, so he decided not to sell me off. What about you? What have they done to you?"

Eren tried to shrug, but the gesture was awkward with his limbs hampered the way they were. "They roughed me up a little for fighting back, but I'm all right."

"What's this all about?" demanded Pinchet, looking at the two guards that had brought Eren into the chamber. "This kid was supposed to be prettied up and ready by the time I throw my party. I'm not going to get many bidders on him with him in this state."

"We tried, sir, but he's—" began one of them.

Eren interrupted the guy. "You won't make a single dime of profit from me if anything happens to my friend. I'll fight tooth and nail!"

Oswald sighed. His next comment was directed at his people. "You were supposed to bring me one of the omegas primed for the sex market, not some mouthy punk. It's bad enough you couldn't bring me the one I was after the most."

"He's one of that group, boss," insisted the buzz-cut alpha. "We made sure of that. Eren Jaeger. He was pulling one of the highest prices on the market when you got screwed on the deal. He's one of the top dancers at that club we tracked all those omegas down to."

"Really?" Oswald looked Eren over with more interest. "Then let's see what he's got. I'm having trouble believing it, looking at him like this."

Eren's vivid gaze flicked between Pinchet and Armin. "If you're asking me to dance for you, I won't do it until I get some kind of reassurance."

"You've got balls, kid. What kind of 'reassurance' are we talking, here?" Pinchet narrowed his eyes on him, at least interested enough to hear what Eren might have in mind to make him more cooperative.

Eren nodded at Armin. "Nothing happens to my friend. Either you let him go and make sure he gets back home safely—"

"I can't do that."

"—or you give me your word and daily proof that he isn't getting sold, violated or hurt in any way," finished Eren without hesitation. "I want to see him every day. I want him treated well. If you can at least do that, then...then I'll do whatever you want me to do."

"Eren..." Armin's dismay was visible in his expression. The don had already decided that as a beta, Armin's worth was more in what his intellectual capabilities could bring to the table, rather than his body. He wanted to tell his friend as much, but the mafia guard standing near him clamped a big hand over the blond's mouth before he could go any further. Armin mumbled behind the hand, instinctively pulling at it to no avail.

Oswald chuckled, his eyes lighting up with awareness as he looked between the two captives. "Boyfriends, are you? So all it takes is keeping the blond here well fed and treated nice, and you'll dance when I tell you to dance, fuck who I tell you to fuck, suck whoever's dick I want you to?"

Eren's jaw visibly tightened, but he gave a curt nod of agreement.

Pinchet mulled it over for a moment. He looked at Eren's two handlers with a nod. "Un-cuff him. I want to see a demonstration before I make up my mind."

Armin was horrified, thinking that the mafia boss intended to make Eren have sex with someone right then and there. He couldn't bear the thought of watching the omega be sexually violated for his sake, and his eyes blurred with tears. He pulled at the hand covering his mouth, shaking his head in protest.

Eren stared at Armin as one of his captors produced a key ring and dutifully unlocked the cuffs binding his wrists behind his back. The omega's eyes were determined and reassuring on his friend, silently promising him that it was going to be all right. Eren straightened up, rubbing his wrists to work some circulation through his hands.

"Well, concubine?" pressed the don. "Give us a dance. Let's see if you're any good at that, before I agree to your terms."

Armin's eyes fluttered shut briefly with relief. A dance. Just a striptease. That was far better than what he'd thought Pinchet wanted to sample from him.

Eren nodded wordlessly. There was no music, and the mafia members in the chamber stopped their hushed conversations with each other to watch as the young man started to gyrate to a tune he'd picked out in his head. Even under such awful circumstances, being compelled to perform against his will, Eren's body moved sensuously. It wasn't one of his upbeat performances that Armin was used to seeing at the club. The omega had no reason to smile or be playful with his audience, now. He seemed to be borrowing Levi's method, withdrawing mentally from the situation and focusing on seducing his watchers with graceful, sensual moves. There was an air of mystery about him as he lifted his plain white t-shirt slowly, gathering up the hem to reveal his toned abs a little bit at a time.

Armin glanced at the don to gauge his reaction as the mobster behind him finally took his hand off of his mouth. He noticed the little frown on Pinchet's lips, and when he looked back at Eren, he could understand why. There were bruises on Eren's torso. His guardians must have beaten him some to subdue him, taking care not to go for his face but being none too gentle with other parts of his body.

Armin's hands clenched into fists. He almost would have rather they'd drugged him to keep him docile, but that was just as terrible a thought as them beating him. The teacher felt torn. It might be kinder for Eren if he was high all the time when made to service someone sexually, but that could turn into drug addiction. Eren's future was looking bleaker to Armin by the moment, and as the omega continued to disrobe and perform for his audience, Armin began to pray in earnest for some kind of miracle to save them both.

* * *

It wasn't Hange, Erwin or any of the other syndicate members that finally got a lead on where Eren and Armin had been taken to. It was Kenny. Faced with the unappealing prospect of losing his livelihood altogether, Levi's uncle began delving into every source he had at his disposal to get information that might help find the missing dancer. He knew that just stealing Eren back from his captors wouldn't be enough to put an end to this threat. If he wanted to keep the club up and running, he needed to make sure his exotic dancers could work safely, and that meant bringing down the cartel that was after them.

First, though, he had to figure out where to start. Having connections with the underground and some of the people that ran the flesh trade, Kenny started there. At first, he didn't turn up any results because the moment he mentioned Pinchet's name to his contacts, they froze up on him and didn't want anything more to do with the subject. One business associate proved to be more tractable, though. Les made a lot of money off of Kenny over the years; a fact that Kenny deliberately kept from his nephew because he knew Levi would try to put a stop to his habits.

Kenny liked blood, and he wasn't picky about whether he got it from someone willing to share or not. Not all slaves came with as big a price tag as the omegas he'd purchased out from under that Stohess king pen. Some were for rent, and Kenny found it much more convenient and easier to hide from the law to just pay for a night with a slave, drink his fill and return said slave to the owner the next day. Stripped of civil rights, they couldn't go to the police with tales of being bitten by a vampire. Even if he drained one to death by accident—which happened once or twice—all he had to do was pay the owner extra for loss compensation.

"Hey Les," Kenny said when his connection met up with him at a seedy motel they often conducted their business at. "Long time, no see. Come on in."

The balding blond man followed Kenny into the room he'd rented. Once the door was shut and locked behind them, he looked at the taller man with interest. "It _has_ been a while. I thought maybe you've been using another supplier."

"Nah, just picking random people too drunk or stoned to remember anything," admitted Kenny with a shrug. "Money's been a little tight, and it's gonna keep getting tighter if I don't do something. I need a hand with that."

"I did notice your strip club hasn't been open for days," observed Les. He took a seat in the chair near the window. "What's going on there?"

"Let's just say I've been involved in a situation that's getting out of control, and it's tied to the underground sex trade."

"Oh?" Les straightened up a little with interest. "What, did you lose some of your dancers to it?"

"One, so far," confirmed Kenny with a nod. "The male with the green eyes that everyone likes so much."

Les winced. "Ouch. He's one of the only male omegas you've got, too."

"No shit. Even worse, it wasn't a case of him signing some contract and sneaking off. He got nabbed, and the guy that did it is after my other omegas, too. I know you've got connections you can reach out to. I need you to help me track down where they took him. I'm thinking Stohess, but he might still be in transit. I need to pinpoint it down so I can throw a wrench in the works and get my dancer back. You're better off not knowing the rest of what I need to do to make sure this doesn't happen again."

Les frowned. "I did see something on record about some bids popping up for an omega in that area. I didn't look into the details, but I'm pretty sure it was in Stohess, and the bids are flying pretty high. If I'd had reason to believe it was your boy, I'd have checked the picture."

"Were the bids for full purchase or renting?" asked Kenny, perking up.

"Renting. I just saw it this morning while I was checking for any promising sales."

Kenny nodded. Les tended to go for the more affordable purchases, get a little work done on his acquisitions and then sell them off for a higher price, eventually. It made sense that he wouldn't have lingered on an advertisement to rent, rather than own.

"Did ya bring your laptop? Can you look it up and show me?"

Les hesitated. "What would be in it for me if I help you and you get this boy back?"

Kenny sighed. "Oi, there's some powerful people looking for him. You'll get your worth out of it, trust me."

"Hmm. Let me go to my car. We'll see what can be done. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't do this. Sounds like a lot of trouble and risk."

"You know I'm good for it," pressed Kenny, spreading his hands. "You just said so yourself. Let me sweeten the deal, though. Do this for me, and you can have a night with Hitch on top of monetary compensation."

Les was visibly intrigued. He'd always been interested in Hitch, but being a rather cheap sort, he'd never gotten around to paying for sexual favors from her. "Kenny, I think we can work something out."

Kenny smiled. This was step one. Step two was in contacting certain folk that even sent a shiver of dread up _his_ spine. That part had to wait, though. One thing at a time.

* * *

Yule had come and gone. It was going on two weeks now since Eren and Armin disappeared. Mikasa tried not to give in to despair, tried to remind herself that the syndicate had resources that would eventually enable them to find the boys. It was the terrible waiting that was so hard, and the frustration of knowing how close she and Levi had come to rescuing Armin and Eren before real harm could be done. Mikasa told herself that neither of the boys were dead. She knew she would feel it in her bones if they were. They were alive somewhere, and when she found them, she could tell them both how much she loved them and ensure that nobody ever took them away again.

When she got called in for a meeting at Erwin's place, she suffered conflicting fear and hope. Nanaba would only tell her that it had something to do with Eren and Armin, but that was all the information she could give her. Steeling herself, the young woman ended the call and hastily changed into something professional to wear to the meeting. She locked up her apartment, got into her car and drove to the other side of town where Erwin's penthouse was located. She'd only been to the boss's place a couple of times before since joining his ranks. Erwin's bodyguards opened the front door for her when she arrived, and Mikasa's brows went up when she walked in to find not only all of the syndicate's captains lounging or chatting in the luxurious living room area, but Levi and Kenny as well. Now completely unsure of what to expect, Mikasa instinctively migrated toward her fellow Ackerman's. Levi was sipping on a red cocktail, and she could smell the scent of blood in it. Kenny was fooling with a pack of cards, shuffling them in his hands.

"It seems everyone is here," announced Erwin, coming into the living room from the kitchen and dining area. He approached Mikasa, and he offered her a cocktail with the same smell as the one Levi was sipping. He didn't say anything, but his sharp blue eyes silently encouraged her to drink it. By all appearances, it could have passed for a Bloody Mary.

Quietly suspicious, she took the offering, and she looked at Levi with an unspoken question in her eyes. He gave her a small nod, and that was all the explanation he could give in mixed company. So, Erwin knew about them...or at least, about her and Levi. The tinny flavor of the cocktail confirmed it. Erwin had dressed it up with a lemon on the side and some spices. It was cold, and she was going to have to stir it to keep it from congealing, but it would help. She hadn't fed much since the incident at the plant, and she'd burned up most of the energy she'd gotten from that.

Erwin took a seat on the recliner across from them, and he swiveled it around to look at each participant in turn. "The whereabouts of at least one of our missing people has been located. Kenny confirmed it a couple of nights ago through his connections."

"Which one, and where?" Levi asked, eyes narrowing.

"Stohess, in the upper districts." Erwin's expression was solemn, calm. "As suspected, Oswald Pinchet was behind the kidnapping. He now has custody of Eren and has started taking bids on him."

Mikasa tensed, and so did Levi. "So he's selling him off?" guessed Levi.

Kenny answered that question for him. "Nah, he's prostituting him out. The kid's more valuable to him as a rent boy than a full sale, with those looks and him being a male omega. Seems this guy Pinchet was planning to sell off all the girls except Petra, keep Eren as a sex slave to rent out and keep Petra for himself. Makes sense, I guess."

"He's not getting his hands on any more of those dancers," Hange promised grimly, "least of all Petra."

"So where does this leave the Arlert kid?" Oluo asked. "Did they toss him on the market too, or did he even make it to Stohess?"

Nanaba nudged Oluo sharply, eyeballing Mikasa. "I'm sure he's not far from Eren. Armin might not be an omega, but he's attractive."

"That isn't much comfort," Mikasa said stiffly. "I don't want either of them raped."

"Better raped than dead," Oluo stated.

"That's enough," Erwin warned when he saw the glares Bozado was getting from Mikasa, Levi, Nanaba and Hange. "Let's just focus on trying to ensure _neither_ scenario happens. We have a short window to act before any bids for Eren are finalized, and Kenny has the connections to hopefully locate Armin, as well. I have a gut feeling that Nanaba is right; where we find Eren, Armin won't be too far behind."

"I've got people working on that," said Kenny with a shrug. "I'll let you know if anything comes up."

"Who are these people you're talking about?" demanded Mikasa mistrustfully. Kenny was shady, and that wasn't likely to change.

He looked at her evenly, grinned, and fished a toothpick out of a case in his shirt pocket. "People that don't want their names spread around to mafia groups. I've already worked out the payment plan with your boss. Now all that's left to do is work out the logistics of getting Jaeger out of there with his buddy."

"Why do I get the feeling _you're_ going to profit from this?" Nanaba accused him.

Kenny shrugged. "Only a little, girlie. I'm going to be risking my neck with what I've got planned. I've gotta get something out of it. Oh yeah, and I've got to speak with Hitch too, that reminds me." he scratched his chin thoughtfully, and then he shrugged. "That can wait, though. First we need to do some organizing. This guy you're up against has a pocket we could slip through."

"What the hell does that mean?" Dita asked, perplexed.

"Means you can't just go in with guns blazing through the front door," clarified Kenny. "Your boss knows it too, and that's why we've gotta play it smart. I got those dancers through a ruse. You want to get Eren and the cauliflower back, you'll have to do it sneaky-like."

"Just so we're clear," Erwin added, "I don't intend to send any of our people on this endeavor."

Mikasa gave the mafia boss a startled look. "But sir—"

"You've already pressed your luck with me once, Ackerman," warned Erwin. He glanced at Hange, who cringed a bit. "You too, Hange. Our family is too widely known. We can't risk any key members showing up in Stohess and being recognized. Therefore, we're going to rely on networking to see this done. I have reliable people with connections in Stohess that we can use. I wish that I could tell you all more, but that's all I have for tonight. I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone that this goes no further than this room, no exceptions. In the meantime, focus on your jobs, keep the club staff safe and await further information."

The meeting only served to raise more questions for Mikasa than it answered, and by the looks on everyone else's faces, she wasn't alone in that.

* * *

"Boss, I need to talk to you for a minute."

Erwin turned to face Mike as the taller blond followed him into the kitchen. Mike had remained silent through the entire meeting, and he kept his voice low now.

"I can't discuss it, Mike," Erwin said apologetically. "Not right now. Not even with you."

"What happened to me being your Underboss?" Mike leaned back against the counter as Erwin placed some used wine glasses in the dishwasher. Everyone else except for Levi and Kenny had gone home. "You're collaborating with that weasel Kenny, but you won't tell me what your plan is?"

"The plan isn't yet in complete fruition," explained Erwin. "We're waiting for one more call before we move on with it."

Erwin put a friendly hand on Mike's shoulder, gazing into his eyes. "Just trust me, old friend. I have my reasons for keeping things quiet. I would like nothing better than to explain every last detail to you, but trust me, that would take longer than we have. You might not even believe me if I tried."

"Hmph. I'll let it go for now. I just hope you aren't getting yourself caught up in something that's going to blow up in our faces."

Erwin smirked. "We'll see."

* * *

Once Mike excused himself and left, Erwin relieved his bodyguards from duty, and he sat down with Levi and Kenny. "Now, what exactly was your idea to get someone close enough to retrieve Eren and Armin, Kenny?"

Kenny leaned back against the sofa, crossing one booted ankle over one knee. "You ain't gonna like it." His gaze pointedly went to Levi.

Erwin frowned, looking between the two of them. "What won't I like? Levi? What is he suggesting?"

Levi's jaw tensed, and he looked away. "There could be a way to get me in there."

Erwin tensed involuntarily. His gaze shot back to Kenny. "Explain this."

"There's a guy that works for Pinchet as an omega specialist doctor," obliged Kenny. "Name's Richard Carver. He's a member of one of the other vampire clans. I doubt Pinchet has any clue, but the Carvers are pretty widespread in the central territories around Stohess."

"So I take it your plan is to somehow get close to him and kidnap him?" guessed Erwin. "That could be difficult, if he's a vampire as you suggest."

"Nah, but he could be the crack in the wall we could have someone wriggle through." Kenny smirked. "See, Carver works closely with your rival king pen. Since Pinchet likes to deal in Omegas for the sex trade, he relies on the doc to make sure his investments are healthy and ready to be sold off or pimped out. Thing is, word from afar has it Carver's got a special interest of his own. If the sources I'm hearing from are right, he's been trying to find a member of the Ackerman clan for a good while, now."

Erwin's browse rose. Levi's expression was still as stone. The dancer's stillness did nothing to ease the sudden feeling of dread Erwin was starting to get. "A specific member?"

"Nope. Just a living, breathing Ackerman...and preferably an omega male. His tastes runs to the boys, y'see. I think he'd take a beta female if he could, but I'm pretty sure the last beta Ackerman died out years ago. Could even be that the brat here, myself and your girl Mikasa might be the last ones left of our clan."

Erwin frowned at Kenny. "And how can you determine that any of these rumors are true? I understand there are separate vampire clans in the world, thanks to some conversations I've had with your nephew about the subject, but the name Carver doesn't necessarily mean he's one of them. There are other Ackermans in the world besides yourselves."

"Not from our bloodline," Levi said softly. "There are Ackermans in the human ranks, but not many, and they don't have the same ancestry as we do, obviously."

Levi looked at Kenny with a little sneer. "And Erwin's right, old man. You've got no proof that this guy is a Carver from the vamp clans. The Carvers are one of the powerful ones. Can't go out in the sun, can't eat regular food, and they can't be killed except with silver through the heart."

"Shouldn't that be a stake?"

Levi and Kenny both looked at Erwin, and the latter shrugged before answering. "A stake would work if it happened to be made of silver. Kind of old fashioned, though."

"What about their longevity?" pressed Erwin.

"They can live for a couple hundred years before they start aging, but they eventually get old and die like humans and Ackermans." Levi sighed. "We aren't here to talk about vampire lore right now, though. Kenny's got an idea, and we need to run it by you."

"I don't think we need to run it by him," muttered Kenny, "but if I'm gonna get paid, might as well. The shrimp here insisted we tell you the whole thing instead of just fabricating half of it."

"And what _is_ the whole thing?" demanded Erwin, now growing impatient. "You say this man—whom you admittedly can't be certain is actually a vampire—has an interest in the Ackerman's. You say that interest is focused on an omega from your clan, and the only omega we have that I'm aware of is Levi. Have any of your 'sources' even provided evidence that Carver is a vampire?"

"None of 'em even know vampires exist, as far as I can tell," explained Kenny. "But they've described Carver's behavior to me and it sure sounds like he could be fangy. Nobody ever sees him set foot outside except at night, and nobody ever sees the man eat. For all I know, he could just have a fixation on vampires and found out somehow about the Ackerman clan. I did some more digging with a couple of associates, and it turns out this guy has rounded up people with the Ackerman name before. They all disappeared without a trace, once he got his hands on 'em."

"How very comforting," stated Erwin flatly. "To me, it sounds like he has an extinction agenda."

"Or the Ackermans he's found so far all turned out to be human," countered Kenny. "Like I said, the guy seems determined to get a vampire, and they say he's pretty specific about what type. What do you think _that_ means, boss?"

Something ugly twisted within Erwin. Perhaps Carver and his clan—if he was indeed a member of the vampire Carvers—were responsible for wiping out most of the Ackerman vampire clan. Perhaps Carver was looking to finish the job but if so, why narrow his search specifically to a male omega? Why not settle for any Ackerman he could get?"

"Let me paint a picture for ya," offered Kenny.

"Let's not," muttered Levi, but the older vampire ignored him.

"We Ackermans are considered exotic. Maybe like an exotic breed of dog or cat to the more powerful clans, but still exotic. Having one of the last living breeders of our kind would give a guy some pretty hefting bragging rights. He could make his own fortune out of it, if he played his cards right."

Erwin's expression darkened. "You're right; I don't like where this is going. If you're considering using Levi in this endeavor, the answer is no."

"Tell him the rest, Kenny," prompted Levi. "Tell him what you found out today before the meeting."

"I'm getting there, I'm getting there." Kenny nudged his nephew roughly. "One of my contacts got back in touch with me today, and thanks to Pinchet's people digging around, he knows me and Levi work the club. That means Carver knows too, and he's probably already hacked into medical records to find out what types we are, if he's got our last names. In other words, the guy already knows Levi's an omega, and that means he's probably gonna try to arrange an abduction any day now."

"Then Levi can stay with the other dancers at the safe house," insisted Erwin.

"You don't get it, Smith," Kenny said, lowering his voice. "If Carver's clan and not human, then he'll have other vamps that can come looking for your boy. You're men are good, I'll give 'em that, but if a group of nightwalkers finds that place and comes for Levi, what you've got there for security won't be enough. They'll get the brat, and they'll get all your other dancers too. Everything you've done to protect 'em will be for nothing."

Erwin considered his words, and he weighed the chances that Kenny was just exaggerating to manipulate him into doing something he didn't want to do. Unfortunately, even if the man was playing on the absolute worse case scenario, Erwin couldn't deny that there was a risk of his prediction coming true. If they were dealing not only with Pinchet and his followers but a powerful vampire clan as well, something had to be done.

But rescuing Jaeger and Arlert wouldn't solve this conflict alone. Stealing back from Pinchet would only result in a further tug-o-war. What they needed to do was cripple him, tear down his power base. The other option was to kill him, but cutting one head off could result in another growing back in its place. This beast needed to be stabbed in the heart. Erwin had several ideas in motion on just how to do that, not the least of which was expanding his own power base in a more aggressive campaign; take back the territory his syndicate had lost and move into Pinchet's.

This would be a start, he realized. If he could remove Carver's support somehow, take back Eren and Armin, free other unfortunates that had fallen victim to human trafficking conducted by Pinchet, it would call into question the man's control and competence. It could even be the first steps to raising doubt within Pinchet's own ranks and paving the way for his own people to start turning on him.

First the slaves. Then the business enterprises Oswald's syndicate was racketeering from. After that, the smaller syndicates. If Erwin played his cards right, he could do to Pinchet exactly what the man had been trying to do to him, only with more subtlety and less attention drawn to themselves. Kenny could even help with that, considering the man's network.

Erwin would have to discuss that with him more in depth later, though. Right now, he needed to make a decision that he knew he was going to dread, and he needed to know the rest of what it entailed.

"So outline your intention to me, step by step. I'll tell you whether I approve of it or not once I've heard every detail."

* * *

Later that evening, Levi was preparing for his journey with Kenny...and Erwin couldn't follow him no matter how much he longed to. "You've got to stay here," reminded the dancer, dressing in the sort of casual clothes he would normally wear on a day-to-day basis. Black jeans, a black crew shirt with a band logo on it, spiked belt and a pair of black lace-up combat boots. Levi wasn't wearing his leather jacket with the ensemble, because he didn't want to risk losing it.

"You keep telling me that," sighed the blond, watching as his mate finished lacing up his left boot. Even in such common attire, Levi was too sexy-looking for his own good. "I'm not going to remind you of how dangerous this plan is."

"Good." Levi nodded, and he straightened up, checking himself out briefly in Erwin's full-length mirror.

Erwin came up behind him, and he embraced the smaller man, looking into his eyes through the reflection. "If this man's intent is to kill off your clan, then both you and your uncle could be executed the moment you meet up with your contacts."

"Thought you said you weren't gonna remind me of the danger," stated Levi dryly. He turned around in Erwin's embrace, putting his hands on the blond's shoulders. "I doubt that's going to happen, though. Carver's specifically after an Ackerman like me for a reason, whatever pervy, sick reason that is. Kenny's theories could be right. Guess we'll find out. Once we get to Carver and make the exchange, Kenny will get out of there, signal his contacts, get word to you and get scarce."

Erwin's expression stiffened at the reminder. "I like even less the thought of him dumping you into such a dangerous situation and then abandoning you to it."

"You think he has a choice?" Levi shot back. His eyes searched Erwin's. "Oi, Kenny might be a piece of shit, but he took care of me in his own way after Mom died. He doesn't want to see me dead."

"Because you're too valuable to him," stated Erwin, narrowing his eyes. You pull in more money for the club than any of the dancers, and unlike the others, he gets to pocket over half of what you make."

"Because I owe him." Levi shrugged. "It won't be that way forever, and I've got no plans to stop dancing once I've paid off my debt."

Erwin raised a brow. "You...don't? I thought this work made you unhappy."

Levi shrugged. "It's not the best job in the world, but the money's gonna be better than anything else I can make with my limited skill set. I figure I'll take advantage of it while I'm young and try to get a higher education on the side while I'm doing it. That way, when I start losing my stage looks, I'll have career opportunities to fall back on that don't involve taking my clothes off."

Erwin cocked his head with surprise. "I never knew. Have you looked into any courses?"

"I've been checking out online courses so I can make my own schedule," answered Levi with a shrug. "Trying to go to campus in the mornings and strip at night, plus manage the club, would be too much of a hassle. Plus if any of my classmates learned I was a stripper, that could cause some friction. It's easier to do it through the internet. I just have to decide what I should go for. Trade school? Business? Medical? Maybe even bartending. They've got courses for that, too."

Erwin forced a smile. "I think you would make an excellent bartender, but you should take the time to try out some aptitude tests and see where your skills would best fit. It should be something you feel you would enjoy, regardless of where your educational path takes you."

Levi's brows pinched, and he looked as though the thought of choosing pained him. "I can't think of this right now," he sighed, "but I'm glad you seem supportive of it. Maybe when this is all over, we can go over it together and you can give me your opinions and help me find something."

Flattered that such an independent, prideful man would seek his help deciding his future, Erwin smiled more genuinely. He cupped Levi's chin, and he bent over to kiss him softly on the lips. "I would be happy to do that, Levi."

Erwin sobered with the realization of what his mate was about to embark on. He had every right to say no, to insist on finding another avenue. His gut feeling was that this was their best option to start with, though, and he'd promised Levi that he would trust him to take care of himself. "Just don't put yourself in any further danger than you have to. Make that promise to me now, love."

"You know my only goal is to find Eren and get him and his bookworm out of there," murmured Levi. "I'm not planning to martyr myself. I just need to get close before Kenny's people come to get me back out."

"I would love to know what kind of people Kenny intends to send for that." Erwin stroked the dancer's silky, dark hair. They'd been very vague on that with him.

"Trust me, they aren't the sort of people you want to know," said Levi evasively.

Erwin sighed. He had his secrets too, after all. Perhaps one day, there would be no more of those between them. "Have it your way." Erwin tugged on the bolo tie he was wearing that day, loosening it so that he could open the top three buttons of his shirt. He took Levi's hands, and he guided him over to his bed. Sitting down, the mafia boss looked up at his mate, and he tilted his head up and back, exposing his throat. "As we agreed, Levi. You need all of your strength."

Levi's eyes flashed immediately with hunger, his lips parting to reveal elongated, dagger-sharp fangs. Erwin watched him without moving as the dancer straddled his lap, putting one arm around the blond's neck and cupping the back of his head with the other. Levi's fingers curled into Erwin's hair to tug his head further to the side, but he was gentle about it. Erwin complied, and he closed his eyes as his small companion's mouth closed in on his throat. He relaxed his body as the dancer's lips grazed his skin directly over his pulse, and Erwin rubbed Levi's back encouragingly.

Levi hesitated.

"Go on, beautiful," urged Erwin softly. "You've said yourself that my blood energizes you more than most. I want you at your best."

With that encouragement, Levi pulled his lips back from his teeth, braced Erwin's head in his palm and let his fangs go in. He did it so smoothly and gently that there was hardly a sting at all, and before Erwin knew it, he was sucking contentedly. Waves of euphoria began to flow through Erwin's body as his mate fed on him, subtle at first, and then stronger. Erwin predictably swelled in his pants in reaction to the feelings, and he gasped softly when Levi's hand supporting the back of his head slid down and burrowed into his shirt, teasing a nipple to give him more pleasure. Erwin gave a husky, low sound of delight, closing his eyes as the feeding went on.

He was starting to feel the slightest bit light-headed when Levi stopped, kissed the little fang wounds and reached for the bag they'd set on the bed for this purpose. The vampire licked his lips clean as he cleaned the bite for Erwin with a sterile pad, applied some antibiotic to it, and then secured a square of gauze to it.

"Why do you go through so much trouble?" mused Erwin dazedly, smiling at Levi in a sleepy manner as the omega straightened up in his lap. "You've told me your saliva acts as an antibiotic anyway."

"Because you're my alpha," reasoned Levi simply, shrugging. He buttoned Erwin's collar back up, and he met his eyes. "Besides, I don't take chances with people that offer it to me freely—especially if I care about them."

Erwin couldn't help the goofy smile on his face. "That's very sweet of you. You see, Levi? You're so kind—mmph.."

The omega had shoved a sweet, soft baked good between Erwin's lips before he could finish speaking. "Eat your doughnut," he said gruffly. "It's the chocolate-glazed cream-filled kind you like so much."

Erwin chuckled around the treat, catching hold of it and biting into it. He licked the glaze off his lips as he watched his pushy little dancer climb off his lap and collect the bag to replace the medical items in the bathroom. Erwin had been on the verge of asking Levi something that proved just how far he'd come since the dancer entered his life, but it was probably for the best that he didn't get the chance. Trying to plan too far into the future might jinx what they had now.

Erwin only prayed that he would even get a more opportune moment to go through with the decision he'd made.

* * *

"What in the hell is this?" Oswald glowered at the sight before him as Eren's keepers pushed the slave forward for the king pen's inspection. The omega was bruised and scraped in various places, with a busted lip and an obvious limp to his step.

"He was all healed up, just yesterday! Didn't I tell you not to mark him up anymore? You're supposed to dose him if he gets uppity. I've already got bids going through the roof for this kid at tonight's party. I can't offer my clients a bruised turd after promising a healthy, gorgeous dancer for their pleasures!"

"Sorry boss, it wasn't us," said one of the guards tensely.

"We found him like this at the foot of the stairs in the harem quarters, just outside the shower room. The kid claims someone pushed him. Nobody else saw it happen."

Oswald gnashed his teeth, oblivious to the worried expression on the face of the blond slave beside him. "Pushed, or deliberately fell? Boy, come here. I said to come here!"

Oswald took the chain lead given to him by one of Eren's guards, and he yanked on it, practically dragging Eren closer by the collar around his throat. He pulled the omega close, glaring into his eyes. "Are you telling me the truth, or did you do this to yourself to get out of servicing my clients tonight?"

"I wouldn't do it on purpose," Eren said in a tight, angry voice. "Not when Armin's safety depends on my cooperation. Someone pushed me. I didn't see who."

Oswald shoved Eren away, and the omega barely caught himself before falling. As one of Eren's guardians retrieved his lead again, the king pen pondered the matter. It was no secret that some of the other concubines were jealous of Eren's beauty and the favor he was predicted to rake in. For the sex slaves in Pinchet's massive estate, doing good by the boss meant extra privileges, including favorite meals, a chance to get outside of these walls even if under guard, and money to spend on something of their fancy. Those who had been broken in and come to accept their place were reportedly less than thrilled about the new competition.

Oswald's thoughtful gaze went to Armin. The blond alpha was staring at his injured friend with a mix of anxiety and relief. The kid had no poker face. Pinchet could imagine the relief came from knowing that Eren's injuries had bought him at least another week off the menu. The mafia boss's eyes narrowed thoughtfully on the seemingly mild-mannered blond.

"What time did you find him like this?" he asked the guards.

"Just twenty minutes or so ago," answered one of them. "He said he was on his way to take a shower to get ready for tonight when it happened."

Pinchet looked back at Armin again, calculating. Well, it couldn't have been the scholar. Knowing how upset it made Armin to think of his friend being used sexually, Oswald had contemplated for a moment that Arlert would actually have the stones to resort to shoving him down the stairs to prevent it, even if it might kill him. Armin had been here with him for the past two hours, though.

"Take him to the doc to get looked at," decided Pinchet at last. He was getting impatient, but if he could just get this brat up on the auction block and start pimping him out, he knew it would be worth it. "Tell Carver to give me an estimate on how soon Jaeger will be fit to start entertaining. In the meantime, take him off the list and offer up our most popular concubines in his place at a reduced price."

* * *

Eren nearly collapsed when he found out he wasn't going to be violated as soon as he thought. Of course, the visit with the doctor was just as intrusive and humiliating as always, and he had to practice every ounce of self-control Levi had taught him to answer Carver's questions without giving himself away.

No, he didn't see who pushed him, and he couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman. He heard them come up at the last minute, and the next thing he knew he was shoved from behind and went tumbling down the stairs. No, he didn't see them when he woke up, because he was knocked out until the guards came and found him.

When Carver stared him in the eye and asked Eren if he was _sure_ he was pushed, Eren kept his expression calm. "I'm sure."

"Hmm."

The doctor kept staring at him, and for a moment, the man's blue-green eyes took on an oddly crimson hue. It wasn't just a trick of the light; they seemed almost reflective in a way that Eren was familiar with. Eren blamed it on hitting his head.

"Is that what you call it when you trip on your own feet, boy?" Carver asked at last, smiling slyly at him.

Eren felt a rush of panic. "Excuse me?"

Carver shrugged, and he spun his stool around to scoot it over to his desk and write something down. "I'm just saying that if someone is desperate for a means to get out of a situation, the body can follow the mind's directives. Ah, it doesn't matter though, does it? You'll need to be under medical observation for a couple of days at least, and I'm going to advise that you stay confined to your cell except under direct supervision until you've recovered enough to perform."

Eren was shaken, but he again employed tricks he'd learned from his mentor to conceal his disconcertion. There was no way the man could really know that his accident had been a result of his own anxiety spiking his clumsiness. To Eren, someone might as well have shoved him down the stairs, and that someone happened to be the "klutz factor", as Levi often referred to it. He'd gone with the story he told them because he worried that if he said he'd tripped, they would think he was trying to kill himself or something and threaten harm to Armin for such misbehavior. Hopefully no innocents would get in trouble because of it.

At least now he had a little more time to think and to plan. Eren saw what eventually became of the slaves in this place. They lost hope, and many became addicted to opium and other substances; either because they'd resisted too much in the beginning or because they needed something to make this life bearable.

_"I'll be good, sir. Please, just give me some. I'll be a good girl."_

Eren couldn't suppress a shudder that ran through him as he recalled hearing one of the omega girls say those words to the harem overseer, begging him for a hit. That wouldn't be him, if he could help it. He'd rather box up a piece of himself and endure it than turn into an addict and get that far gone that he might lose himself entirely.

"You'll behave, won't you boy?" Carver said, watching him closely. "I don't need to administer something special along with any pain medication you might require, do I?"

Eren straightened up on the examination table, and he shook his head. He forced himself to speak respectfully, though he harbored a special loathing for this man for what he'd done to him and to other omegas. "There's no need, sir. I won't make any trouble, and I don't need anything for pain, either."

The doctor smiled in that chilling, calculating way of his, evidently catching on. "Afraid of becoming addicted, are you? Well, I can't blame you there. Not even some aspirin? You're clearly in some discomfort."

Eren didn't trust a single pill this man could give him as far as he could throw it, and his bottled rage was such that he suspected he could throw it a long, long distance. No matter what the label said or if the pill was identical to over-the-counter medicine, Eren knew better.

"I'll be all right," he insisted, "though I could use a little rest, sir."

Carver shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'll have your guardians escort you to your cell. Don't press your luck with your master, Eren, and don't make me look bad by vouching you'll cooperate without the need for medication. You won't like what will happen."

"I understand," said Eren lowly, his eyes shifting from green to gold as his anger finally pushed through. It didn't matter if this creep knew he was angry, though. What mattered was that he stayed convinced Eren wouldn't cause any trouble, and that he had no reason to share his obvious suspicions with the mafia boss.

* * *

-To be continued


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pardon any errors I might have missed in my tiredness. I'll look back over it again later to double-check, but I wanted to publish it because I know a lot of folks are tense about the election, and I thought it would be a nice little distraction. Hope everyone enjoys!

They were in Kenny's car getting ready to leave when the older vampire reminded Levi of one very risky part of this operation.

"All right kid, we've got to make this look good. You ready?"

Levi eyeballed the syringe in his uncle's hand, and for the first time, he hesitated. He knew the people they were trying to infiltrate to rescue their charges would be suspicious if it wasn't convincing enough that he'd been taken by force, but pretending to be subdued was far different from submitting to being drugged for real.

"What, you think I'm gonna double-cross you?" pressed Kenny. "You'll shake off the effects by the time we get to Pinchet's syndicate headquarters. Drugs and alcohol never have legs with us for long, and I made sure to get the dosage right so it'll wear off before my contacts show up."

Levi narrowed his eyes at him. "And what if they drug me again before that happens?"

"Er...I guess my contacts will just have to carry you, in that case." Kenny shrugged and scratched the back of his head. "Come on, brat. You agreed to this. Want to save your friends or not?"

Levi looked at the syringe again, and he heaved a sigh. It was true; vampires generally had a higher tolerance to substances than ordinary humans, and he was no exception. "Tch. Fine. Just tell me one thing: how much are they offering for me? I know you're getting something out of this."

Kenny sucked on his teeth for a moment. He pulled out his cellphone, looked up a text message from someone going by the name of "RC"; most likely Richard Carver. He scrolled up to the figure and he showed it to Levi.

"That's in two installments," explained Kenny as his nephew leaned over to look at it. "The first one I'll get when I deliver you, and the second will come after the guy confirms you're an Ackerman omega. I'm not pocketing all of it, before you get all irate. Over half of that's going to the Akimoto clan as payment for their part in this deal."

Levi's expression revealed no surprise, though it was indeed a more than generous sum. He looked at Kenny again, and his thoughts went to their unlikely allies. "You're sure they'll keep their part of the bargain?"

"Hell, they've got more honor than I do," chuckled Kenny. "Yeah, they'll keep their word, and if they pull through, our clan will be squared up with theirs."

Levi nodded. The vampire clan in question was Asian in origin, and Levi had wondered more than once if Mikasa might have some of their blood mingled with her Ackerman heritage. Of course, just because she was half Asian didn't mean she had Akimoto in her, and she hadn't demonstrated any vampire traits or abilities that suggested she was of mixed vampire blood.

"If you say so. This makes me wonder if our family's involvement in that mess between the Akimoto and the Carvers years ago is why this doctor's been hunting down Ackerman vampires."

"Could be," Kenny shrugged again. "But if that's so, why's he so dead-set on getting an omega male? He's got another angle, like I said. You know my thoughts on it."

Levi felt a shiver go through him at the possibilities. Maybe Kenny's theory was right, and the man was looking at it like having a rare, exotic pet. That was more troubling a concept to Levi than the idea of someone just trying to wipe what was left of his clan out.

"Let's just get this over with." Levi rolled up his sleeve to present his nearest shoulder to his uncle, and he barely had the chance to brace himself before Kenny uncapped the syringe and went at him like a dart board. "Oi! You fucker, you didn't even sterilize the spot first!"

"Like you'll get an infection," snorted Kenny. "Besides, the needle's sterile and as much as you bath, I'm sure your arm is too."

Levi was already feeling a rush of warmth spreading through him. His tension faded, and his mouth fell open. "Fuck," muttered Levi, his eyes going blank. "What the...hell is that? Horse tranquilizer?"

"Pretty potent, huh?" Kenny re-capped the syringe and disposed of it in a grocery bag he'd been using for trash in his car. "Sweet dreams, kiddo."

* * *

Levi was out like a light all the way to the location they were to meet up with their contacts from Stohess, and Kenny vaguely worried that he might have given him too big a dose. He grimaced as he pulled into the parking lot behind what used to be a bowling alley, but was now fenced up and awaiting demolishment. He spotted the navy blue sedan he'd been told to look for, and he drove up beside it. Glancing over at his nephew, Kenny reached out to give Levi a light smack on each cheek.

"Oi, you still in there, kid?"

Levi's head lolled to the right, and his eyelids fluttered a bit. He moaned softly, and then he slumped and let loose a snort that somehow managed to sound annoyed, even in his drugged state. Kenny breathed a little easier, and he had a quick feel of the younger man's pulse to ensure his heartbeat wasn't faltering. Levi's pulse was steady but slow under his fingertips, and Kenny took off his fedora hat and wiped a bit of sweat from his brow.

"Shit, don't scare me like that," muttered Kenny. He could try to play it off as concern that Levi croaking on him would cost him a substantial profit, but in truth, his nephew and the club were all he had left. He looked out the window to see all four of the doors on the sedan open up, and sharp-dressed men emerged from the vehicle. Two of them he picked out immediately as alphas. The other two, he wasn't sure about.

"Hang in there, brat," Kenny said to his inebriated companion, hoping Levi could snap out of it in the time frame he'd predicted. He'd sent the package off to their allies in Stohess as directed by the Trost members of the Akimoto clan, just before attending the meeting with Erwin. Hopefully, it would arrive at its destination in time to assist the Stohess vampires in locating Levi when it was time for them to make their move. If not, his nephew might end up spending more time in Carver's custody than intended, and that would probably be bad news for Levi.

Kenny unbuckled his safety belt and got out of his car to greet the men. One of them—obviously the leader of the group—looked Kenny's scruffy appearance over with a little frown. He looked through the windshield of the club manager's automobile, narrowing his eyes against the setting sun.

"Hey there," Kenny called, coming up to them with a grin. "Kenny Ackerman. I almost passed this place on the way here, so we're a little late."

The lead alpha nodded toward the vehicle. "Is that the package?"

Kenny checked a frown at the man's word usage, but he shrugged it off. To them, a "package" was all Levi was; valuable cargo to be delivered to a man that no doubt paid them handsomely to come and fetch it. No sense in him having moral compunctions about it now, given some of the equally offensive terms he'd used for Levi in the past.

"Yeah, that's him. Want to have a peek before we head out?"

The guy nodded, and he addressed one of the guys that might or might not be betas. "Confirm it."

The other guy walked over to the passenger side of Kenny's car, opened the door and used his phone to snap a picture of Levi's sleeping face. He sent it to someone—probably Carver—and waited for a response. He nodded at their leader a moment later after his phone dinged with a text message.

"It's the right one," he announced. He reached in to do exactly as Kenny had done earlier, checking Levi's pulse. "He's alive. Just unconscious."

"Had to drug him," Kenny explained with a shrug. "The kid might not look like much, but he's a scrapper. I'd have had a hell of a time getting him loaded up without a little happy juice to take the fight out of him."

None of the men seemed surprised, but then, they were probably used to dealing with shady business like this. No telling how many unfortunate abducted people they'd been involved in transporting for the flesh trade. Kenny played it cool, waiting while the four of them spoke quietly to one another. In the back of his mind, he was starting to harbor some doubts about his own plan. He'd used his networking to contact Carver after speaking to Levi about his idea, and it had been a tricky endeavor to pull off. Kenny fabricated a story about Erwin taking his club from him, and how he was tired of being caught between rival mafias and just wanted to make back what he'd lost and get the hell out of Trost. He'd heard Carver was looking for a special acquisition, and since Kenny couldn't stand his nephew anyway, he'd be willing to help out for a moderate fee, provided Levi fit the bill.

As it turned out, he was exactly what Carver was looking for, and it didn't take very long for the man to get back into contact with him and make an offer. Kenny might have been wrong about Dr. Carver already knowing about Levi, but the guy obviously had the right connections to confirm it once the offer was made. Now the trickiest part was going to be for Kenny to get out of there once he handed over Levi. Carver worked for Pinchet, and Pinchet wanted the omegas from the club. Kenny had a plan on how to deal with that, too. Bringing them Levi would be proof that he was capable of swiping the other omegas, or at least, he hoped so. It was all a matter of being convincing enough.

"I'm texting you the location of where we'll be going to catch our flight to Stohess," informed the lead alpha. "Once we're on the jet, I'll send word to Dr. Carver, and the first half of your payment will be wired to your bank as agreed. You'll get the second half once we've delivered the package and Dr. Carver is satisfied that it's what he wants."

"Sounds fine by me," answered Kenny.

He checked his phone when the guy sent him the text, and he got back into his car to put the location into his GPS. He glanced over at Levi again as Carver's men loaded up into their car and started the engine. The kid had asked why he couldn't just send his Akimoto associates in to get Eren, instead of going through such an elaborate and risky scheme. Kenny had promptly reminded Levi that they had no blood scent from Eren or Armin to track them down, and even though they were repaying an old debt by assisting with this, their help wasn't free. In addition, Kenny agreed to subtract the money he'd be getting out of this from what Levi still owed him, knocking of a substantial chunk of his debt.

"Let's just hope we don't have any hitches, boy," sighed Kenny, and he began to follow the other car to the small airport where they'd board a private jet.

* * *

Levi started to wake up while they were on the plane, but he was groggy as fuck, and he had trouble getting his bearings or focusing his eyes. He heard his uncle's voice next to him, and he realized he was in a reclining seat. He tried to lift his head, and he peered around in a disoriented manner, seeing double.

"Where th' fuck...?"

"Relax, you're on a plane," Kenny told him.

Levi lifted his head off the back of his seat with effort, and it wobbled as he turned it to look at Kenny. He had to close one eye to correct his double-vision, and his pupils were blown wide. "Plane?"

"Yeah." Kenny frowned, revealing subtle concern. He glanced around before leaning in close to speak to the younger man. "You fed recently, right?"

Levi tried to nod, and his head flopped forward. It was like all of his muscles were made of jelly. He was tingling all over, and his ears were ringing. He couldn't make sense of what was going on, and he vaguely realized that his wrists were cuffed to the chair he was strapped into. A line of drool glistened on his chin.

"Gonna puke," slurred Levi.

"Fuck." Kenny hastily grabbed a vomit bag from the pocket of the seat in front of him, and he held it under Levi's mouth as the dancer's stomach began to heave. Kenny got the answer to his earlier question when Levi puked up some of the blood he'd ingested from Erwin.

"He's not sickly, is he?" asked a male stranger's voice. "He's no good to us if he's dying."

"Nah, he's fit as a fiddle," Kenny assured, grimacing as he wiped Levi's mouth with a wet wipe. "It's the dose I gave him, is all. He'll be fine when it wears off."

"He's vomiting blood," observed the other man.

Kenny finished wiping off Levi's mouth, and he looked up at the other guy shrewdly. "I'm guessing your boss didn't fill you in on all the details when he sent you to do this job. Trust me, it's nothing to worry about. The doc can confirm it when he looks him over. I ain't trying to cheat you guys."

Levi heard the other man's phone beeping. He started losing consciousness again as the guy answered it and spoke in a low voice to whomever was on the other line. He heard him describing his condition and answering questions, and then the world went black again.

* * *

When they arrived at the expansive compound where Oswald Pinchet kept most of his acquisitions for the sex trade, they loaded Levi onto a roller gurney and strapped him in. It didn't escape Kenny's notice that one of his escorts purposely parted his blazer to reveal the guns holstered at his hips. The message was clear; he wasn't going anywhere until after Carver saw Levi for himself and confirmed that he was what he wanted. With a shrug, Kenny gamely went along with them. They exited the jet and one of the alphas pushed Levi's gurney through the hangar area, heading for an elevator with a keycard panel. He put his card in to activate the elevator, and his companion pushed Levi's transport gurney through first. Kenny boarded the lift with the others when nudged meaningfully.

They went a few floors down, and the doors opened again to reveal an area that reminded Kenny of the inside of a hospital. While inwardly he was trying not to sweat bullets, on the outside he was as cool as a cucumber. There was no guarantee that they wouldn't kill him and call it a day once this transaction was finished. Why not, after all? It would save Carver a lot of money to double-cross him, and from what Kenny understood, none of the previous "guests" of the doctors bearing the Ackerman surname ever made it back out of here.

_~Fuck. I'm taking a hell of a gamble. I gorged on blood before we set out on this, but that won't do me a damned bit of good against vamps with Carver's abilities.~_

Against humans, he could probably escape even if outnumbered and outgunned, but Kenny suffered no illusions that he could move fast enough against vampires of the more powerful clan bloodlines. Again, he wondered just what in the hell he'd been thinking when he came up with this plan. He couldn't even say it was just for the money. He looked down at his unconscious nephew's pale face, and he could see his deceased sister's likeness in the fine, sculpted bone structure.

_~I'm getting soft in my old age, Kuchel. Blame it on your runt of a son. Little bastard's gonna be the death of me.~_

He hated to admit it to himself, but part of his motivation in doing this was due to Levi's obvious love for Eren. The little punk liked to give tough love just like Kenny did, but in the end, Levi considered all of his fellow staff as family...and Eren he was particularly protective of. Whether that could be blamed on the blood bond between the two of them due to Eren occasionally offering his neck to Levi or just because the green-eyed omega was just naturally endearing, Kenny couldn't guess.

 _~And here I am sticking_ my _neck out to try and rescue the kid. Eren Jaeger better dance his tanned little ass off and pull in some extra dough for this one, if we pull this off.~_

As Kenny pondered to himself, he entered a large examination room with his escorts, and as soon as he saw the man seated at the desk tapping away at a computer, he knew he was a vampire. He could sense his power, and Kenny could tell when Richard Carver looked up at him that the man picked him out as a vampire, as well. Carver stopped his typing, stood up, and examined Kenny curiously. His gaze slid immediately to Levi as the gurney was rolled in, and there was an unmistakable glint of excitement in his blue-green eyes.

"Is he real?"

Kenny's brows shot up at the odd question, and he glanced down at his drugged nephew. He took his hat off, and he scratched his head. "Last time I checked, yeah. Dr. Carver, right?"

The doctor shook Kenny's hand, but his hungry gaze remained on Levi. "And you must be Kenny Ackerman. A _real_ Ackerman. I admit, I wondered if you were genuine."

Kenny shot a look at the now obviously confused men in the room with them. They clearly had no idea what in the hell Carver was going on about, but they were too well-paid to question. Kenny didn't sense any other vampires around, but that didn't mean there weren't any in the complex.

"So what do you think, Doc? Will he do for you, or what?"

Carver addressed his men. "Leave us. Nobody is to disturb us, understood?"

"Understood, sir," agreed the leading alpha. He nodded at his companions, and they left the room.

"Now, let me have a better look at him," said Carver once they were alone with Levi in the room. He leaned over the omega vampire's restrained form, and he pushed one of Levi's eyelids open to examine his eyes. "Heavily sedated, I see."

"Didn't have much of a choice," excused Kenny. "The little runt is no pushover. I might not have been able to get him here without dosing him. You're gonna have to keep him on a pretty tight leash, whatever ya plan on doing with him."

Kenny tilted his head, and he put his hat back on. "Speaking of that, what _do_ ya want with him? Just bragging rights for having probably the last Ackerman omega alive as your pet?"

Carver smiled in a mechanical way, but the excitement was still visible in his eyes. "That's none of your concern, Mr. Ackerman. You can rest assured, though: he'll be well cared for. Tell me, is he fertile?"

Kenny got a creeping chill up his spine. Maybe this guy planned on following his king pen's example and using Levi for extra profit. Some vampires might be willing to pay handsomely for the chance to bang such a rare omega. "He's been sterilized, so no worries about him getting knocked up with any brats if you plan on passing him around."

If anything, Carver appeared dismayed. "Oh, really? Do you happen to know which kind of procedure they used on him, or if not, the contact information of the doctor that did it?"

Kenny kept his expression carefully neutral, though he was now even more curious about what this man's plans were for his nephew. "Sorry, I dunno. The little shit never shared that information with me."

"Hmm."

The doctor lifted up the hem of Levi's shirt, and he undid the omega's pants as Kenny watched. There was something disturbing about watching him tug his nephew's pants down and start handling his junk. Dr. Carver adjusted the overhead light, bent over and thoroughly examined Levi's genitals.

"Fully intact," mused Carver. "That's good. My guess is they used the tubal ligation method using scopes, considering the lack of surgical scars on the pelvis."

Kenny shrugged. "Beats me. What, you _want_ him to get pregnant?"

Carver stared at him wordlessly for a moment, his face utterly void of expression. His eyes glowed subtly for a moment, and Kenny had to admit the man had an unsettling stare.

"So far, I'm satisfied," Carver said evasively, speaking at last. "I need to give him a full examination before we finalize our deal. Please step outside and wait, Mr. Ackerman. This should only take around twenty minutes."

Kenny's jaw tightened. After all the times he'd tried to persuade Levi to whore himself out for extra income, he really shouldn't be feeling any qualms about this guy handling the kid. Kenny sometimes fed on unwilling parties and he never had compunctions about it. He could just picture the look on his sister's face if she were still alive and found out he let someone take advantage of her son in such a vulnerable state, though. Shit, Kuchel would have torn his throat open.

"Mr. Ackerman," said the doctor more forcefully, "please step outside. I need to ensure that he's in good enough condition for my purposes, and I prefer not to have the distraction of you hovering over me. Unless, of course, you're having second thoughts about our deal?"

Kenny could sense the underlying threat in his tone. If he were to try to back out now, he'd be a dead man for sure and Levi would still be at Carver's mercy. He forced a conniving grin to his lips, briefly allowing his fangs to elongate and show.

"Makes no nevermind to me, Doc. I'm selling the kid to ya, so do whatever you want with him. Just so I get paid what we agreed on."

"Just as soon as I've finished with this," vowed the doctor. "I'll transfer the remaining sum once his blood work results are in."

That wasn't exactly the deal, but Kenny wasn't going to argue with that. While he was sure the doctor could sense that Levi was an Ackerman, he probably wanted to be sure his genetics weren't diluted. The former club owner cast one final glance at his nephew, and he left.

* * *

Levi awoke again lying in a soft bed, locked up in a room with tiled floors and a large, abstract rug centering it. He frowned and rubbed his eyes, trying to get his bearings. Kenny had drugged him with something that kicked his ass more than any substance Levi had ever had. He felt weak, which bothered him, because after feeding on Erwin, he should have had enough energy to make use of all of his vampiric abilities for at least a day before his strength faded back to comparably mortal levels.

The bedding was of fine satin, black in color. The bed itself was queen-sized, made of some kind of black metal in a gothic style frame. Levi pressed down on the mattress as he struggled to sit up. It seemed to be one of those memory foam types. Upon looking around the room, he discovered that whoever had put him in here had spared no expense. It was really more like a suite than a containment room. Only the solid steel exit door distracted from the image. A dark wood armoire, An electric, imitation fireplace in one corner, a flat-screen television on the wall, a desk in one corner and a small dining table off to the left of the bed. He would have thought he'd been put up in some kind of goth-style resort, if he didn't know otherwise.

The collar around his throat was a harsh reminder of where he actually was. Levi touched it, and he scowled. It was made of metal. Padded to prevent chafing, but metal all the same. He wasn't likely to get it off easily with his bare hands, at least not in his oddly weakened state. He realized there was a strong but flexible cable attached to it, and he followed the links with his eyes to where it came out of the wall near the bed. He tugged on it curiously, and it gave. He kept gathering it up until it locked, preventing further slack. So, it was set up to allow him free movement around in his room, but he guessed it only gave enough for him to go as far as the exit door and no further. Like one of those adjustable reel leashed people walked their dogs with.

"Shit," muttered Levi, noticing for the first time the internal soreness he felt in his pelvic area. He fought down a moment of panic, yanking the covers down to examine himself. He was naked under the sheets. His junk seemed just fine, so at least he hadn't been neutered or altered. That dull, internal ache had him worried, though. It wasn't the kind of soreness he was familiar with after having sexual intercourse. It felt localized to a deeper location between his hips. He pressed down on his lower abdomen with his fingers, kneading the area. His bladder was half-full, but that wasn't where the issue was. He realized after feeling around where it was coming from, and he remembered the last time he'd felt particular discomfort like this.

"Don't fucking tell me," he whispered, eyes widening. There was no sign of incision, but then, there wouldn't be if they'd gone in through the rectum. The ache was coming from his womb. He'd felt like this after he'd been surgically sterilized. They couldn't have sterilized him more, short of removing his womb entirely. Levi knew that couldn't be the case, or he'd have a surgical incision of some kind. That could only mean one of two things: his captors had either re-done the previous procedure to ensure it stuck, or they'd reversed it.

It was then that Levi also noticed that his neck was sore on one side. He reached up to touch the spot, and he felt a square of gauze secured over it, on the opposite side of Erwin's alpha mark. The skin beneath was tender to the touch, and Levi couldn't be sure, but he thought he might have puncture wounds there.

As he pondered this, the steel door to his room slid open, and a man in a lab coat came walking in. He was around 6'1" with a medium tan complexion, wavy, collar-length brown hair with a few streaks of silver in it, and blue-green eyes. He looked to be around Erwin's age, but given the vampire aura coming from him, Levi guessed he could be much older than that. There was no doubt in his mind that this was Dr. Carver. Levi covered himself back up, and he watched the approaching alpha with a cold glare.

"I see you're finally awake," greeted Carver. "I do hope you slept well, Levi."

"Where's my uncle?" demanded Levi flatly. "What the fuck is this about?" He had to remember to play his role and avoid giving away the fact that he was actually here of his own choosing.

"Your uncle flew back home yesterday," obliged Carver. The door slid shut behind him, and he continued his approach with a sort of confident self-assuredly that said he felt he had everything completely under his control. "He received a very generous payment for delivering you to me. It seems family ties aren't always quite so strong."

"I'll kill the bastard," promised Levi; and he wasn't entirely kidding. That shit Kenny had injected him with was a lot more than he'd bargained for, and he had no idea how long he'd been out and only suspicions to go on concerning what had been done to him. "Where am I, who the fuck are you and what the fuck are you up to?"

"Well, to answer your first question, you're in Stohess. That's all you need to know concerning your location. As for me, I'm Richard Carver...your new master."

Levi stared at him, giving the man what he thought was a convincing enough look that said he thought he was out of his mind. "Excuse me? I'm not a fucking pet."

Carver smiled without humor. "For all intents and purposes, I beg to differ. You see, Levi, I've been searching for someone like you since before I even began working for Mr. Pinchet. I've found many people by the surname Ackerman over the years, but never what I was looking for. They were all either ordinary humans bastardizing that family name, or they were the wrong type. I could have settled for a beta female of your kind, had I ever been able to find one, but this is so much better. An omega, and not just _any_ omega, but a male! I could hardly believe it when I saw you, I had to be absolutely sure. I've confirmed it beyond a doubt, and I could not be more enthused."

Levi tilted his head, his gray eyes slitting. Kenny was right about Carver's obsession to find a male omega of the Ackerman clan. "So what exactly do you want with me?"

"Many things," began the doctor. He took a seat on the corner of the bed, and when Levi started to reach for the cable serving as his leash, the alpha shook his head warningly. "I wouldn't try it, little one. I've drained you, and you wouldn't be able to make a move fast enough to use that against me."

Levi touched the bandaged spot on his neck again, suspicion confirmed. "You sick fuck."

"Language, pet. I had to test it to be sure it would work, after all."

Levi frowned at him. "To be sure _what_ would work?"

Carver smiled again, and this time, a spark of joy and satisfaction lit his eyes. "That drinking from a true Ackerman can provide another vampire with the ability to withstand the sunlight. It's been long theorized that what others might consider a weakness of your clan could actually be a benefit. You can move about in the daylight, where the rest of us can't or must severely limit our exposure to it. Those theories have turned out to be right! I drank deeply from you, went to the upper levels and stepped out into the bright noon sunlight for the first time in my life, without immediately beginning to blister and smoke. There was a bit of eye discomfort from the light, but that's just a minor inconvenience that I can live with. You, my boy, are the key to discovering a serum that will give _all_ vampires this benefit...provided they have the money to pay for it."

"So you want to use me as a guinea pig," guessed Levi, "so you can make huge profits from other vampire clans in the world."

Carver shrugged. "Amongst other things. By the way, how is your pelvic area feeling? Any strong pain?"

Levi kept his expression neutral. "Should there be?"

"Well, I did reverse the procedure done on you to prevent conception. How else could you bear my children?"

Levi's stoic expression dropped, and the disgust and horror he felt couldn't be squashed. He couldn't even sputter an insult.

"Speechless, are you?" Carver got up, and he paced the floor slowly, out of Levi's reach unless the omega took a lunge at him. "The other benefit to having you is, of course, that you can provide me with heirs. Most of my clan would question mixing our blood with an Ackerman's, but they don't see the advantage. My children will be born with immunity from the sunlight; a whole new breed of vampire with both the Ackerman tolerance and the Carver powers. Unlike other vampires, they won't require any elixir or serum to be able to walk in daylight."

Carver turned and smiled at Levi. "All I need do is wait for a heat, Levi. You may be mated to another alpha, but you can still be impregnated by another at the height of a fertility cycle. I can deal with Erwin Smith when the opportunity presents itself, but I don't need to wait until he's out of the way to get you breeding with my first heir."

"You're out of your fucking mind if you think I'm gonna let you fuck me, whether I have a heat or not," growled Levi.

"I don't actually have to force myself on you to facilitate conception," explained Carver. "Artificial insemination can be used in the beginning, if need be...though you may not be so unwilling to do it the old-fashioned way, once you're in heat. Oh, and Levi; your little friend Eren is here, and so is his friend Armin. I suggest you cooperate with me for their best interest. As I understand it, you're rather close to Jaeger. Accidents could happen, you know. The boy could become addicted to opiates as many of the other concubines under my care are. One never knows when an overdose could occur."

Levi started to go pale.

"I see you've grasped the importance of putting aside thoughts of resistance," murmured Carver in satisfaction. He started for the door, and he paused to look over his shoulder at Levi. His gaze swept the omega possessively, admiring the sight of him. "Be a good boy and behave, now. I intend to take good care of you, if you mind me. Oh, and that wooden door over there leads to your own private bathroom. Feel free to enjoy a nice soak and change into some clothes, if you like. I've provided you with a wardrobe. Just one more word of advice, Levi: your collar has a trace and a slave ID linked to it. I'll chip you in a few days, but that should suffice as a deterrent to any escape attempts until then."

Carver left then, and Levi sat there stunned, his mind whirling in several different directions. He was still a little groggy from whatever else they'd medicated him with after his arrival, but two things stuck in his head the most. Both Eren and Erwin were in very real danger—the latter of the two more so, since Carver had basically confirmed that he planned to see Erwin eliminated.

"Over my dead body," vowed Levi.

He immediately got out of the bed, and he went to the bathroom to check it out. There were no windows. There was a vent overhead for air conditioning, but it was thoroughly barred, and he was in no condition to try and pry it open even if it might lead somewhere helpful. He looked at himself in the etched mirror above the black basin sink. They'd removed his cross pendant and his earrings at some point. He wasn't sure if that was just because they had to take them off before the surgery, or if it was because the Carver clan had an aversion to crosses. The damned jewelry didn't matter, though. He could buy replacements when he got out of this shit-hole.

Levi checked out the bathtub and shower combo, opening the glass sliding door to inspect it.

"What the fuck am I doing?" whispered the omega.

Now wasn't the time to be checking for fucking mildew. Levi shut the door a little aggressively, and the glass vibrated. He considered the possibility of breaking that glass or the mirror later to use the shards as a weapon, but right now, he needed to get familiar with every inch of his surroundings and think of what options were available to him. He needed to track Eren down, somehow. Once he managed that, Eren could probably point the way to Armin. If Kenny had left as Carver said—and wasn't in fact dead—then Levi could expect their contacts to show up before long. At least, he hoped so.

Erwin was probably making his own plans, by now. Levi had to trust that the man would take action if Kenny's plans backfired. He knew without a doubt that Erwin wouldn't just give him up, and he would find some way to get Levi and the others out of there if it came down to it. The big blond bastard was too stubborn and territorial to let his omega go. The thought was a comforting one to Levi.

"Just watch your ass, Erwin," sighed the dancer.

* * *

Fortunately, Erwin was used to people making attempts on his life; especially lately. He was on his way to meet up with Shadis and Pixis to discuss the possibility or orchestrating a raid on the compound where Pinchet was allegedly keeping all of his sex slaves. He noticed that a certain red car had been behind his luxury sedan for a while, and after turning around in his seat and seeing it still just a few cars back, he spoke to Mike and the bodyguard that was seated in the back with him.

"Burgundy red Challantra Neo, four cars behind us," he murmured. "Tell me I'm imagining it."

Mike twisted in the seat beside Erwin to look for himself, and the bodyguard sitting across from the two of them in the opposite seat leaned over to look around Erwin's shoulder through the rear window.

"You're not imagining it," confirmed Mike. "I've noticed it too."

The bodyguard turned around, lowered the separator window from the front part of the car and spoke to the other bodyguard sitting in the passenger seat beside Nile. The guy leaned over to check the rearview mirror, and he nodded. Erwin got out his phone and he dialed a number as his companions started checking their weapons, just in case.

"Hange, we have a hanger-on back there. Where are you?"

"Oh, don't worry Erwin," answered Hange on the other line. "Oluo and I are behind them. We fell back a few cars when we noticed this guy acting suspicious. Would you rather we cut into traffic between you and them?"

Erwin thought about it for a moment. "No. I would rather box them in. What's Mikasa and Connie's position?"

"Right beside us in the other lane. I'll tell them to try and get up beside your suspected fanboys. Do we keep to the planned route, or would you rather take a detour and see what happens?"

"Detour," answered the mafia boss immediately. "If this is going to lead to trouble, I don't want to lead it straight to Shadis' door. We'll deal with it before we arrive there, and keep an eye out for other possible shadower. With luck, it's merely coincidence. If not, be prepared."

"Always," promised Hange.

Erwin hung up his phone. "Nile, take the next exit. Get us out of populated areas. Go to that abandoned museum park two miles off the exit."

"Yes sir," agreed the driver.

"Boss, you might want to think that over," cautioned Mike.

Erwin frowned at him, but he figured out his reasoning before the other blond could even expand on that. He took up his phone again to call Hange. She picked up right away. "Hange, don't follow us directly when we make this turn-off. I've decided to head to the abandoned amusement park off of 83rd. You and Mikasa should take a different route from us."

"Er, okay. May I ask why?"

Erwin glanced out the rear window. "Element of surprise, should this go down as I suspect it will. It's better that our friends not know there are more of us than who I have in this car with me. I want to lure them and make an example of them. I'll have Nile take a longer route so that you and Mikasa can reach our side destination first. Don't park your vehicles in the open. We'll see where this goes."

"Oh, I get it. I'll have Oluo relay that to Mikasa then, and we'll get ourselves out of sight."

"Excellent. I'll contact you again when we come up on the amusement park to confirm your position before we pull in."

"Alrighty. I'll be on standby," said Hange. "Although, they may decide to turn back once they see where you're going, Erwin. They could assume you're meeting up with people and decide it isn't worth the risk to follow you in."

Erwin didn't dispute that possibility. If the people in the burgundy minivan were indeed following, then it was possible they were seeking an opportunity to try a drive-by, if they weren't just trying to track his movements and report back to someone.

"We'll just have to play it by ear," he decided. "Just stay on alert and be prepared to move."

Erwin ended the call again, and he glanced sidelong at Mike and took a slow breath. He reached into his blazer to draw his guns, one at a time, and he checked them both. Mike did the same. Nile pulled off at the exit, and Erwin checked behind them again. The suspect vehicle followed behind, now one car back. So far, they didn't seem to be interested in backing off. Erwin wondered if it could simply be a coincidence.

Apparently, it wasn't. He saw Hange and Mikasa's car turn off a different road behind them, and the red minivan kept following. Soon traffic thinned out even further, and they were approaching the fenced up, abandoned amusement park. Erwin dialed Hange again, while his companions checked their weapons and disabled the safety on them.

"We're approaching now. What's your location, Hange?"

"We pulled around back," she answered. "I'm sure we're out of sight of the main road, so your travel buddies shouldn't know we're here. We're ready for them, Erwin."

"Good. I'll have Nile go in from the side gate. I noticed it had fallen the last time I passed by here, so we should be able to get into the park that way. Have someone get a vantage point and signal you when they see us coming."

"Mikasa is already up on the log flume watching for you," assured Hange. "My advice, Erwin, is to stay in the car until we show up."

"Sound advice," he agreed. He did have bullet resistant windows on his car, and the body of it was reinforced as well. Given that they didn't know what they might be up against, staying inside until their associates came to them was the best logical choice.

As they started down the parking queue to the side entrance, Erwin made a quick decision to contact Chief Pixis personally and explain that there would be a slight delay in his arrival. He didn't need the chief of police having reason to be suspicious of his tardiness. After all, through his Consigliore, Erwin had set into motion a raid on a factory that turned out to be a hot mess. He needed to convince Pixis that this time, he had information that could lead to putting a stop to a major illegal sex trade operation. The government had been trying to crack down on human rights violations for a while, and if Erwin could help facilitate this, it would benefit himself, the victims of human trafficking, and those trying to put a stop to the practice. It would be a major blow to Pinchet's power base if this could happen, even if Kenny's plan worked smoothly and Levi got out of there with Eren and Armin without further intervention.

Erwin sighed as he thought of his mate. Levi. That was who he was _really_ doing this for, now. It wasn't Erwin's initial plan of action in dealing with his rival. He was going to chip away at it in a strategic, stealthy manner, so as to avoid an open mafia war. It seemed every time he tried to plan something carefully lately, he ended up having a change of heart and grabbing the bull by the horns. It had happened that way with Levi when Erwin first marked him. It had happened again when he mated with him, and now here he was doing it again because despite Kenny contacting him earlier to let him know the plan was in motion, Erwin just couldn't leave it completely in someone else's hands.

Levi Ackerman had turned his world upside-down without even trying to, and now Erwin found himself mated after vowing never to commit to anyone, abandoning laid-out plans at the last minute and working closer with the law than he would have ever expected of himself.

"Chief Pixis, it's Erwin Smith," he said when the older man answered the phone. "Excuse me for contacting you directly, but I'm running a bit late, and I thought I owed you the courtesy of—"

"Yes, I know," interrupted Pixis.

Erwin frowned, and he checked his watch. "Well, I'm not late _yet_. I've just gotten a bit sidetracked and wanted to inform you personally. I'm about to call Keith and let him know, as well."

"And I appreciate that courtesy," answered Pixis, "but I'm wondering why you're pulling off into an old amusement park, Mr. Smith."

Erwin's blue eyes popped wide for a second, and he looked out his car windows suspiciously. "Are you tracking me through satellite relay, Pixis?"

"Not at all. I'm right behind you."

Now Erwin felt a wave of alarm, to replace the confusion. There was no time to try and call Hange or any of the others. He could hear rubber peeling from the other side of the fence as his vehicle drove through into the park and the minivan followed behind it.

"Nile, stop the car now!"

The beta immediately did as his boss ordered, and Erwin scrambled out through the door without offering any of his companions an explanation. He had his phone to his ear, and he spoke urgently to the man on the other line. He could now recognize Pixis' bald head in the passenger side of the minivan's seat. Someone else was driving, and there was another person in one of the back seats.

"Pixis, get down now."

Just as Erwin said it, Hange's car came roaring up with the windows down. It spun in a turn, bringing up a cloud of road dust. Erwin caught sight of Oluo popping up from the sun roof, and he saw Hange's glasses glinting in the sunlight. Both of them had guns, and Erwin shouted for them not to shoot. Two rounds went off from Hange's weapon. There was a ping of a bullet striking metal, followed by a crack of glass. Someone inside the minivan yelled, one of the doors fell open and a blond man in black rolled out of the driver's side and dropped to one knee, raising a semi-automatic. A small blonde woman in a police uniform came out from the back passenger side, and she fired back.

"Stop," shouted Erwin. "Hange, Oluo, no more!"

Erwin held his hands up when the blond guy that had been driving Pixis aimed his gun at him. "This has been a misunderstanding. Everyone, please hold your fire."

"Erwin, what the hell's going on?" Hange demanded, but she'd lowered her gun.

Connie and Mikasa came running up from around the fence, and they both skidded to a halt in confusion. Mike got out of Erwin's car, along with the two bodyguards that had accompanied them.

"This isn't what we thought it was," Erwin explained as calmly as possible.

The front passenger door of the minivan opened, and Pixis stepped out. He examined the crack in the windshield, raised his brows and grabbed a flask attached to his belt. Taking a pull from it, he looked to Erwin.

"Well, that was an interesting moment. For the record, son, shooting at the chief of police isn't the wisest course of action for someone of your reputation." He shrugged and smirked. "Of course, none of your bullets ever left the chamber, but it still falls on you as the leader."

"I apologize," said Erwin, checking a sigh of relief. "I had no idea it was you that was following me, Pixis. As you can imagine, I've had attempts made on my life more than once. I wasn't informed you were going to be following me, and your vehicle isn't marked."

"Hmm, an honest enough mistake," allowed Pixis. "I thought under the circumstances that it would be safer to follow behind you. I didn't use a precinct vehicle because I thought that might alarm you, and I wouldn't want Keith's neighbors asking questions as to why a police car was in his driveway. I suppose the fault is as much mine. I was on my way there when I recognized your car and its plates, so I told Agent Jinn here to simply follow you to our destination."

"Well, crap," sighed Hange. It was hard to say if she was more frustrated over the misunderstanding, or the fact that she wasn't going to get to kill anyone.

"I hope that we can clear this up and...overlook this miscommunication." Erwin approached Pixis, put his phone away and shook his hand. "My people were only acting to protect me."

"We may be able to facilitate that," said Pixis gracefully, "but that depends on what happens after this meeting, Smith. I'd like you to meet agent Eld Jinn and officer Annie Leonhart. Eld is here on orders from his superiors to relay the information you give us back to them. The decision of whether to act will ultimately be up to the Feds. Officer Leonhart here is one of the top law enforcers in my precinct. She came along for much the same reason as your people did."

Erwin nodded. He showed no surprise over the presence of a federal agent, though he hadn't expected them to get involved until after he reached an accord on a plan of action with Pixis. The young woman he'd introduced regarded Erwin with hooded, pale blue eyes. Her calm, level stare reminded him vaguely of Levi. He picked her out as a beta type. The blond man named Eld had shoulder-length hair with the sides pulled back into a tail at the back of his head. He was also a beta.

Erwin introduced all of his people for politeness' sake, though he was getting impatient. Every moment wasted put Levi further at risk, and they still hadn't confirmed that Eren was still at the location they thought he was at. It seemed Pinchet had his acquisitions for his flesh trade moved around frequently, and there was no guarantee that Levi was even going to be kept in the same place as Eren and Armin.

"Shall we?" pressed Erwin once everyone had been introduced. "We have a lot of information to cover and discuss, and these people are very good at covering their tracks."

Pixis nodded. "Then let's be on our way. I do expect you to cover the damages done to the vehicle we're in, Mr. Smith."

"Of course."

* * *

-To be continued


	20. Chapter 20

His captains were watching Erwin warily as he got off the phone with Shadis. Two days had passed since he had his meeting with Pixis and the federal agent. Kenny's people hadn't made a move yet. None of their connections could pull up any information about Levi. Not even Hange could find anything, for all her technical and hacking skills. Apparently, Carver was keeping Levi a very closely guarded secret. He might not have even told Pinchet about him; possibly out of fear that the mafia boss would try to make him relinquish Levi to be used as a prostitute like the other omegas on his leash. Erwin had no way to know what was happening to his mate, or if he was even still in the same location Kenny had left him at. All he knew was that Levi was still alive, and he was in some kind of distress.

And now he'd been told that it could take up to a month for law enforcement to expedite a raid on the compound Levi had been taken to. According to what Pixis had told Keith, they had to verify the information first—so that another disaster like the plant didn't occur—and then they had to clear it with the higher-ups before they could assemble teams and draw up a mission plan.

"Erwin? What did he say?" Like the others, Hange was watching him circumspectly, but she had more gumption than most and obviously wasn't afraid to ask the question on all their minds.

Erwin looked at her, and his eyes blazed like blue flames. The primal need to protect what was his had swelled to unbearable levels in his frustration. It was too much. He'd held back his alpha instincts for too long, gone against his nature in favor of keeping a cool head and being a better tactician. His stoicism was shattering, and it felt like his heart was soon going to follow suit.

The nearest wall paid for it.

Nanaba yelped when Erwin's fist slammed into the blameless wall, punching a hole through the expensive paneling. Dita gave a startled curse, and Oluo rolled his chair backwards away from the long table, putting more distance between himself and their enraged leader.

It wasn't enough. Erwin punched the wall again...and again. Wood splintered and bits of drywall flew as Erwin took out his anger on it. He didn't feel the cuts and scrapes he was causing to his hands. He didn't comprehend that the animalistic growls and snarls he could hear were coming from himself. Someone came up behind him and grabbed him, and Erwin struggled in their grip. Were he not caught up in a mindless fury, he might have been able to think clearly enough to use a combat move to break free, but Erwin was beyond rational thought.

"Boss, you're out of control," said Mike's low voice in his ear. The taller alpha had grappled him into a pinning hold from behind, hooking his arms under Erwin's armpits and locking his fingers together behind his neck. "Calm down. This isn't helping Levi."

"Erwin, don't force me to medicate you," added Hange, boldly coming up to the struggling blonds but keeping a prudent enough distance. "Use your head, big guy. It's what you've always excelled at, and that's what's made this family so strong."

Had it been anyone except Mike, Erwin could have surely broken their hold. Being an alpha of equal physical strength to Erwin, however, the other blond managed to keep a determined hold on him until the words started to sink in. Mikasa—the only non-captain present for the meeting—added her soft voice to their attempts at reason.

"Sir, we need you to focus. _Levi_ needs you to focus. Throwing a temper tantrum isn't going to solve anything."

Oluo visibly winced at the girl's bold candor, but he added his own tuppence. "Listen to her, boss. Your guy is out there somewhere, and you know we'll do whatever you ask us to in order to get him back."

Erwin's struggles faded. Their logic cut through the fog of his anger and frustration. They were right; he was no good to anyone like this. He slipped out of Mike's hold when the bigger alpha loosened it, and he smoothed his clothing with his hands, still breathing heavily.

"Bring me Kenny. I need to get as much information from him as possible."

* * *

Perhaps an hour later, Kenny was escorted into Erwin's penthouse by Hange and Dita. They brought him into Erwin's meeting room where the boss was waiting, and he took one look at the fresh hole in the wall and guessed what caused it immediately.

"Feeling a little frustrated, blondie?"

Erwin didn't rise to the bait. "Leave us," he instructed his captains.

Hange and Dita exited the room, closing the door behind them. Erwin got out of his chair and circled around the table, approaching Kenny with the deadly, predatory sort of alpha grace that made people compare him to a stalking lion. His expression was cool as stone, but Erwin's blue gaze was bright and intense with his emotions. Kenny took an uncertain step back and raised his hands in a pacifying gesture as Erwin stopped just inches before him.

"Oi, I told you what the plan was. I did my part."

"You did, but now we have a bigger problem than anticipated," explained Erwin in a low, stern voice. "We're unable to confirm Levi's location. There's absolutely nothing about him in any of Pinchet's databases, so you and I need to have a talk. Did Pinchet know anything about the deal you made with Carver?"

Kenny shrugged. "Beats me, big guy. We didn't discuss it. I'm betting if there's nothing coming up in the system about the runt, then the doc kept it to himself. Makes sense, if ya think about it. Oswald's known for collecting omegas as exotic sex slaves. Seeing as he's the boss, Carver probably reckoned he might try to get him to give Levi up. Either that, or they're just covering their tracks real good 'cause they know Levi's your mate and they don't want to make it easy for you to find him."

Erwin's eyes flashed, and the next thing Kenny knew, the blond had him by the collar of the shirt and hoisted him up. He saw stars as Erwin slammed him against the wall, knocking his head against it. It had been a long time since any ordinary human was able to move fast enough to take him by surprise. Even when those goons jumped Kenny months ago, he'd seen it coming. He'd just underestimated their numbers, else he would have fled before they could close in on them.

"Take it easy!" Grunted the vampire. Fuck, this guy's strength was phenomenal. "He's probably still in the same place I dropped him off! You agreed to this plan, Smith!"

"I agreed under the stipulation that you would have your people infiltrate and retrieve Levi and the others," reminded Erwin with a growl. "Where are they? Why haven't they moved yet? There should be some information by now concerning intruders breaching Pinchet's ranks, but there's nothing."

"Last I spoke to 'em, they were waiting for the right time," Kenny gritted out, wheezing against the pressure of his collar tight around his throat. "These people can't move around in daylight, all right?"

Erwin relaxed his hold on him, lowering him back to his feet. "So they're vampires, are they? Why didn't you or Levi tell me this?"

"'Cause most vampires don't like their nature announced to people," explained Kenny. He straightened his rumpled shirt. "Shit, can you blame 'em? These guys can be killed like anyone else, even if they've got special powers and vamp strength. They've got vulnerabilities, Smith. Unlike we Ackermans, they'll fry if they get exposed to sunlight. All those old myths you've heard about vampires are actually true for some of 'em, and they don't want word getting out to ambitious mortals that all they've got to do to off them is shine a sunbeam on them."

Erwin took a deep breath, and he visibly gathered control of himself. "I would ask why you would seek the aid of someone with those handicaps, but then, I can see the logic. I suppose they would have a greater chance of following through with the deal than ordinary humans would. What do you mean by 'waiting for the right moment', though? It should be nightfall by now in Stohess. Isn't that the most opportune time for these people?"

"Yeah technically, but there's an even better time. The Akimoto clan members are at their peak during the full moon. They'll have more stamina, stronger powers and heightened senses."

Erwin frowned. "That sounds more like werewolves than vampires."

"Werewolves aren't real. Some of the vampire lore of the past must have gotten mixed up with werewolf legends, at some point." Kenny shrugged. "My point is, they're not gonna move until the moon's full. Less chance of any losses on their side, and a better chance at finding Levi and the other brats and getting them out of there in one piece. Make sense?"

"The next full moon is nearly a week away," observed Erwin, narrowing his eyes. "Anything could happen to Levi by then."

"Look, I get how you feel." Kenny spread his hands again. "Well, not really. I've never been in love, so it's hard to empathize. I know how important the midget is to ya, though. I can't force these guys to move before they're ready, Erwin. Too bad I didn't know about this before we went through with the plan, or I'd have waited so the kid wouldn't have to spend more than a day in that creep's custody."

Erwin sighed, and he combed his fingers through his normally immaculately styled hair. Now the blond locks were mussed, and Erwin had a five o'clock shadow stubbling his jaw. In fact, Kenny had never seen the man look so unkempt and tired. He almost felt sorry for him.

"What does Carver want with Levi?" Erwin asked at last. "Did he tell you anything specific? Why is an Ackerman omega so valuable to the man, aside from as an 'exotic pet', as you suggested before?"

Kenny hesitated, and Erwin narrowed his eyes at him. "Kenny, tell me what you know."

"It ain't gonna make ya feel any better," predicted Kenny. He decided it was better for his health not to avoid the subject for longer, though. "He didn't give me any details, all right? He was pretty focused on whether or not Levi was fertile, though. He didn't seem too happy to find out he's been sterilized, but he mentioned something about reversing it."

Kenny sighed, disliking where his own thoughts were leading him. "If I were a betting man, I'd say Carver was hinting that he might want to breed Levi. It seemed important to him that the brat could get pregnant. I'd have thought he'd prefer him sterile, but now I'm thinking I was a little off with my initial impression. He might not just want a pretty toy to show off to his friends. I dunno if it's because he's coming from a scientific place and wants to save the Ackerman clan from extinction, or he just wants kids of his own and for whatever reason, he's been specifically looking for an Ackerman child bearer for that. Kind of strange, if you ask me. I'd have thought he'd go for someone of his own clan. We ain't anything special, when you look at our abilities compared to the other clans."

Kenny could see the gears turning in Erwin's head as the blond alpha considered what he'd just said. "But you Ackermans are the only vampires that aren't susceptible to certain things that according to you, the other clans are. Perhaps he's looking at that as an advantage over 'pure blood'. My God, he's going to rape and impregnate my Levi. How could I let this happen?"

Kenny's mouth thinned. He wished he could assure the mafia boss that wasn't going to happen, but omegas didn't have to be pair-bonded to someone to get pregnant by them in a heat. He was unaccustomed to the feelings of guilt churning in his gut, and he again imagined what his departed sister's reaction would be if she'd been alive to see this. She was probably rolling in her grave as they spoke.

"Hey, for him to do that, first he'd gotta succeed in reversing Levi's sterilization," reasoned the vampire, "and then he'd gotta have him in heat. _You_ could probably knock the kid up without him being in a fertility cycle since you're his mate and his body's receptive to ya, but Carver needs that heightened fertility to do it...at least while you're alive. Anything happens to you, and he can force a pair-bond on Levi. While you're still breathing, though..."

Kenny trailed off and tilted his head, studying Erwin thoughtfully. The man had security and bodyguards at his disposal at all times, but if Carver had vampire lackeys somewhere as Kenny suspected, he could send them after Erwin as additional insurance. It would make his plans go a lot easier if he was up to what they thought. Why wait for a heat to happen if he could just take out the alpha that kept him from bonding with Levi and raising his success chances?

In that moment, Kenny made a decision that really had nothing to do with Erwin's safety, and everything to do with throwing a wrench in the works and trying to redeem his blunder. "Hey, you should have vampire bodyguards, Smith."

Erwin looked mildly surprised for a moment, and then his expression went opaque again. "I have Mikasa."

"Yeah, and the girl's got skills," agreed Kenny, folding his arms over his lanky chest, "but that might not be enough. Not if Carver has any vampire allies he could send after ya. Remember what I said before about what he could do if he knew about Levi? The same holds true for you, blondie. Right now, you're an obstacle to him. Even if he's not trying to knock Levi up like we think, being able to pair-bond with him would give him more control over him. You've been pretty generous with Levi, not taking advantage of your alpha influence over him. Carver won't be so considerate, and I'm willing to bet he'll pay a pretty penny to get you out of the picture."

"The thought has crossed my mind," stated Erwin dryly.

"So here's the deal," Kenny went on, "at least 'till we get my nephew out of his hands, I'll be your bodyguard. I might annoy the shit out of you sometimes, but you've got a better chance at survival if you've got me watching your back with Mikasa."

Erwin stared at him searchingly. "And why would you offer this? You don't strike me as the sort of man that would put his neck on the line out of the goodness of his heart. How much do you expect me to pay you for this service?"

Kenny shrugged. "Free of charge, man. That's why the offer's only good until we get the runt back. After that, it's all on you."

"I see. What brought about this noble streak, Kenny?"

The vampire sighed, and he lowered his gray eyes. "Maybe I've got a debt to settle with my sister, for letting her son down. I ain't totally heartless, Smith. Me and Levi cross swords a lot, but he's my only family I have left. I owe him at least this much."

Erwin's chiseled features softened ever so slightly. "In that case, I accept your offer. If it will increase my survival chances so that Levi and I can be reunited, then I can put up with your annoying quirks. Now, tell me about some of the weaknesses you mentioned other vampire clans to be susceptible to. I want to know whatever you can tell me that will give us some advantage."

Kenny nodded. "Well, there's sunlight, but it ain't like you can carry around a flashlight that shines beams of sunshine."

"Actually, I think I can," corrected Erwin with a clever little smirk. "There are UV lights available, and I'm sure Hange would know where to get the best. What else?"

"Damn, I didn't think of that," murmured Kenny, raising his brows with admiration. He had to hand it to Erwin, the guy was kind of a genius when it came to tactical planning. "All right, there's crosses. I dunno if it's some sort of collective paranoia all the other clans share, or if there's really something mystical about the symbol. They hate crosses, though. They get sick if they come into contact with one, and they're repulsed by them."

"Really? Levi said that wasn't the case when I asked him about the ones he wears on his ear and around his neck."

"He was probably just talking about Ackermans," reasoned Kenny. "You can just assume anything he told you about vampire weaknesses was in reference to our clan. Levi doesn't like to talk about other vampires much."

"So I've noticed," agreed Erwin. "Then perhaps he wears those crosses as a protective measure against any other vampires he might run into."

"Could be. The kid's always been practical. Silver's also a weakness, like I told ya before. The Carvers have a major, deadly allergy to it. I'm not sure about the Akimoto clan, but if a Carver picked up a silver dollar, they'd have a nice round blister in their palm from it."

"Hmm. What about holy water, then? Garlic?" Erwin scratched his chin.

"Sorry, those are really just myths, as far as I know. Short of regular allergies, I've never heard of a vamp that can't go near garlic, and holy water's just water. Why they'd hate crosses but be okay with holy water, I couldn't tell ya. Maybe it's just that in this day and age, none of the priests blessing the water are pure enough to make it stick, I dunno."

"That's possible." Erwin frowned. "Anything else?"

"Some of them can't cross running water," obliged Kenny. "Don't use that as a given, though. That one doesn't seem to be clan related. You could have two vamps from the same clan standing at a river, and one of 'em could cross but the other one can't. Kuchel used to say she thought it was related more to how powerful the individual vampire is. The stronger they are, the more that rule is likely to apply. Just don't go running for a stream or sewer ditch thinking you'll be safe from pursuit if you cross it. That's a good way to get yourself killed."

"Got it," said Erwin. "Running water is a maybe, and unreliable. What about the moon phases? You say this Akimoto clan is at their strongest during the full moon. Does the same apply to the Carver clan, or do you know?"

"The moon doesn't affect them, so you're no safer during a new moon than during a full one." Kenny shrugged. "That's about it, boss. That's everything I know about other clans' weaknesses. If there's anything else, they've kept it too guarded a secret."

"All right. Tell me what you know about their abilities. Can any of them turn into bats?"

Kenny snorted. "Nah. Wait, I take that back. Some vamps can shapeshift into animals. They might choose a bat, so let's say it's possible, but not a given. I've seen a few turn themselves into wolves. Could be that's how the legends of werewolves got started in the first place."

"How interesting," mused Erwin. "Do any of the Carvers have this ability?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure. I know some Akimoto's can do it, but not all of them. They can also turn into mist, but only during the full moon. Don't ask me about the physics behind it. Your girl Hange could probably work it out better than I could."

"So if I see a strange fog following me, I should be prepared," reasoned Erwin. "I should probably invest in a cross, while I'm at it. Anything else?"

"Nothing you haven't already seen yourself," answered Kenny. "We've all got super speed, agility and strength. Clans like the Carvers just have it in greater proportions, compared to us Ackermans. If I'm well fed, I could probably match one of them for a little while, but we Ackermans burn through our energy faster than other vampires when we use our abilities."

"That isn't of great comfort to me," sighed Erwin. "Still, I suppose having you and Mikasa at my side will give me a greater advantage than if I were to stick only to human bodyguards."

"Get yourself some silver-tipped bullets made," suggested Kenny, "and keep your guns loaded with 'em at all times."

Erwin nodded in agreement.

* * *

Levi awoke with some difficulty. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, being cut off from the outside world as he was and lacking access to any clocks. He felt like it was daylight, but he was so weak it was difficult to be sure. Were he at full strength, he would be able to sense the time of day by the hint of weakness he always suffered during daylight hours, but Carver had fed him only enough to keep him from going into a coma, and the man had drained him the last time he'd visited Levi and brought him dinner.

In addition to being half-starved for blood nutrients, Levi's body temperature was running uncomfortably hot. His groin was tingling, and he realized what these symptoms meant with sincere dread. His body was preparing to go into heat. So far, Carver hadn't laid a hand on him except to drink from him, but Levi knew that would all change the moment he had a heat. The bastard had made that pretty clear to him, and whether he meant to artificially inseminate Levi or force himself on him, it was only a matter of time before Levi could find himself pregnant.

He didn't want that to happen. He wanted Erwin. If he was going to have a kid, he wanted it to be his mate's.

"Fuck," growled Levi, stumbling as he got out of bed.

He staggered his way to the bathroom connecting to his luxury prison suite, and he relieved himself. He then showered, as he'd done at least three times since being locked up in here. No matter how much he bathed himself, he couldn't seem to get clean enough. He scrubbed at his skin until it was pink, and just as he was coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, the main door beeped and clicked. Levi braced himself as his captor entered the room with two alpha guards flanking him, and it occurred to Levi that both of the other men were vampires as well.

"Good evening, Levi," greeted Richard, looking him up and down. "It's good to see you're finally awake. You missed breakfast and lunch, but I didn't want to disturb your much-needed rest. Get dressed, pet. We're going to a party, and I want to introduce you to my associates."

Levi stayed where he was, glaring daggers at the man.

Carver raised a brow. "Levi, do I need to ask you twice? Remember what could happen, if you defy me."

Levi growled under his breath, and he went to the wardrobe to pick out something to wear. He tried to find something that wouldn't attract much attention to him, but Carver unfortunately had a specific look in mind for him when he put together his wardrobe. All of the pants were either leather or form-fitting. Many of the shirts were semi-transparent, and not a one of the open shirts had buttons with which to close them. No matter what Levi put together, he was going to have the look of a sex kitten. Unsurprisingly, there was no underwear included in the wardrobe, so he would be going commando regardless of what he picked out.

"What the hell's wrong with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt?" groused the omega, snatching up the most modest combo he could find. "I'm gonna freeze my nuts off if they've got the AC cranked up at this fucking party of yours." He grabbed a pair of socks and some thigh-high boots to wear with the black stretch pants and the wrap-around black silk shirt. At the very least, he could tie the shirt mostly closed.

"Interesting," remarked Carver as Levi started for the bathroom for some privacy. "A stripper with modesty? Come now, Levi. According to your uncle, you were one of the top erotic dancers in his club. Why would a man who takes his clothing off for strangers be shy about wearing something that shows off his body a little?"

Levi clenched his jaw, turning slowly with as much dignity as he could muster. He affixed the doctor with a cold stare that would have had most people cringing. "The difference is in consent, you fucking pervert. I dance because I choose to. I'm here against my will. It's pretty simple."

"I suppose it is," amended Carver. "Regardless, I'd like you to change here in front of me."

Levi's jaw nearly dropped, and his gaze flicked to the other two alphas flanking the doctor. "You've got to be shitting me. Why?"

"Because I wish it," explained Carver. He tilted his head. "You aren't going to argue with me, are you? It isn't as though it's going to be anything you haven't showed off before."

The other two alpha vampires were now eyeing Levi with more than a passing interest.

_~I see what this is. He's testing me. He's got no reason to demand this except to reinforce my position to me. He's trying to train me like a dog, showing off for his buddies to prove he's got me under control. Maybe he's afraid his reputation will suffer if people think he can't keep his slave in line, but I think there's more to it.~_

Levi shrugged. Damned if he was going to let this little humiliation break his spirit. Carver might have him for now, but that was only temporary and if he thought he was going to tame Levi, he had another thing coming.

"Fine. Hope you get an eyeful."

Having lost any real sense of modesty long ago, Levi tried to treat it like he would at home if he were changing into a costume in front of his fellow dancers. He casually pulled the towel free, tossed it in the clothes hamper, and started to get dressed. He unfortunately had to take it slow, because his sense of balance was off due to his weakened condition. It was a little clumsy getting the pants on, and he tried to ignore the appreciative stares he was getting from his audience. At least in knowing what Carver's plans were for him, he could be assured the man wouldn't share him with anyone. Not that Levi found it particularly comforting to know that he was only likely to be raped by one man rather than several.

_~Shit. I've probably got it better than Eren. How many fuckers has Pinchet passed him around to since he nabbed him?~_

The thought made bile rise in Levi's throat, and he swallowed. His hands were shaking by the time he got the shirt wrapped around him, leaving his chest and much of his stomach exposed despite his efforts to tie it as closely shut as he could. He sat down on the armchair in the corner to pull his boots on, not trusting himself to do so standing. The fucking leash attached to his collar had already nearly tripped him while he was putting on the pants. Fortunately, the boots had a zipper in the back, which made them easier to put on.

"Beautiful," complimented Carver once the omega finished dressing and got back to his feet. His gaze roamed over Levi with unmistakable, possessive lust. "I believe this is the best investment I've ever made. It's missing something, though."

Levi looked down at himself, and he raised a brow. "No shit. Try buttons."

The dark-haired alpha to the left of Carver snorted with amusement. "He's a witty little thing, I'll give him that."

"He is, indeed," agreed Carver with a crooked little smile. "Do I have good taste, or what? Pretty _and_ intelligent. Ah, but no, buttons aren't what's missing from this ensemble. I think I know what will give it just the right touch."

Carver reached into his blazer to produce a box. He opened it, and he approached Levi. Inside of the box was a black onyx pendant with the letters "R.C." carved into it. The teardrop-shaped pendant was attached to a thin silver chain. The doctor wouldn't touch the jewelry piece himself, but he offered it to Levi.

"Go ahead. Put it on."

Levi's jaw clenched. He reached into the box and he pulled the piece out of it, studying it as he held it dangling before his eyes. On the back of the pendant, his own name was engraved into the metal setting. He might as well have engraved the words: "Property of Richard Carver" into it and "If found, please call this number".

Levi briefly closed his eyes, his temper flaring. He had to admit this was starting to hurt his pride, and when Carver leaned a little closer and sniffed at him, he felt a flash of panic.

"Why Levi, it seems your hormone levels are up," observed Carver. "Are you that eager to start bearing my children?"

"Go fuck yourself," snapped the omega. He put the pendant on with a little difficulty, finding it hard to work the clasp with his shaky fingers. He'd thought some of the other times in the past when he went into heat unexpectedly was bad, but this was far worse. His own body was betraying him, and he wondered how it could even start preparing to cycle under such stressful circumstances.

"Ah, before we go," Richard said, ignoring the insult, "You should eat. I'll have a plate brought to you with a glass of warmed blood, and I'll be back in an hour to collect you."

Levi flipped him off.

"Wow, he's going to be a challenge for you," remarked the blond alpha to Carver's right. "He's hot looking, but I wouldn't let my omega mouth off to me like that, Richard."

"All things come with time," said Carver patiently. "I'm sure he'll come around eventually, especially when I make him mine in every way and he's had our first child."

The insinuation behind the second part of that comment wasn't lost on Levi, and he froze. His teeth elongated, and his eyes flashed. "You won't touch Erwin. You've got me, you sicko. You said yourself you don't have to be pair-bonded to me to get what you want. Leave my mate alone."

"It's only natural for you to want your alpha safe," sighed Carver, "but I may not be able to comply with your demands, little one. You see, Erwin Smith is a rival mafia boss, and _my_ boss would be very grateful if he were out of the way. I think you'll have to do better than spout off disrespectful profanities in front of my associates, if you want me to consider mercy. I have plenty of reason to arrange for his...disappearance. The gratitude of my employer, probably a healthy money reward and not to mention, your omega instincts making you much easier to tame."

Levi narrowed his eyes, and he retracted his fangs. This seemed to satisfy Carver somewhat, and he nodded in approval. "That's a better attitude for you to have. Keep it up, and perhaps I can settle for breeding you without bonding."

He started to go with his lackeys following him, and Carver paused at the door to look back at Levi. "Of course, a lot of things can happen to a man in Smith's position. Even if I promise not to send my people after him, I have no control over what his other enemies might do. Still, it would be one less threat to him if you please me enough."

Levi bit back the angry words that tried to surface on his lips, and he refrained from calling the man a dirty, filthy scum-sucking pile of shit. He watched him go silently, and once the door closed behind Carver and his friends, Levi's pride wasn't enough to keep him upright. He sank to his knees, his fingers hooking beneath the collar around his throat, feeling like it was choking him. The cool metal of the pendant rested between his pecs, and it felt like it was branding him as surely as an alpha's bite. He didn't understand why Carver would have him wearing silver at first, but then Levi thought of the way those other two Carver vamps had looked at him. Maybe the silver would deter Richard from touching Levi much himself, but it also served as a reminder to his fellow clan mates that he was off-limits to them. He might as well have just given Levi back his cross, but that would probably be too much. Silver and a cross combined would keep Carver at a distance as well as other vampires.

"I've been so resentful of you, Erwin," murmured Levi to the empty room, "because you took advantage. I know I could have stopped you if I'd really wanted to, though. This guy's ten times worse."

And now it fully dawned on him that Erwin, for all his faults in judgment, had treated him with a lot more respect than most alphas treated omegas with. In fact, the man practically spoiled him trying to make up for it all. Levi knew that he could ask Erwin for virtually anything, and the guy would bend over backwards to give it to him. Now he might never see him again, and that possibility hurt most of all.

Fighting back the unexpected sting of tears, Levi carefully brought his emotions in check. He didn't have time to feel sorry for himself. All he needed to concentrate on right now was surviving this without ending up pregnant and getting out of here with Eren and Armin. They were going to a party tonight; probably one of Pinchet's arrangement. That meant Levi might see Eren or Armin or both...might even get the chance to talk to them and signal them that help was supposedly on the way. They needed to be ready when the time came to escape, and if they didn't know their benefactors were vampires, they might freak out when the Akimoto clan members finally got off their asses and came for them all.

The door opened again, and a beta female came in with a food cart. She didn't speak to Levi as she rolled it in and took the cover off of the plate. She gave him a vaguely sympathetic look upon seeing him on the floor on his knees, but Levi suspected that she and the others that brought him food had been forbidden from speaking directly to him. He waited until she left, and then he got up and went to the armchair she'd left the cart at. He didn't have much of an appetite, but Levi knew he needed to keep up his strength as much as possible, and that included ordinary nutrition as well as what little blood he was allowed.

* * *

"It's in the food, isn't it?"

Carver paused after stepping into the room later, and he stared at the mess on the floor. Levi had started suspecting the real reason for his body prepping for a heat after finishing most of his meal of steak, peas and mashed potatoes. His body heat started spiking again, and he actually sprung a woody. It was then that he looked at his food with suspicion, and he got so angry that he swept the plate and the remaining contents off of the cart. The blood, however, he couldn't afford to waste, even if it was drugged as he suspected the food was.

"Whatever do you mean, my little raven?"

Levi gritted his teeth. "Don't play coy with me. You've put something in my food. Something to trigger a heat. You've been dosing me with it at each meal, haven't you?"

Instead of try to deny it or claim that Levi was being paranoid, Carver grinned as if he'd just witnessed a pet do an amazing trick. "You see? What did I tell you? Good looks and brains. I can hardly believe my fortune."

Levi felt like he was about to throw up what he'd just consumed of his food. "You're actually risking artificially inducing my heat? You know we Ackermans don't take pregnancy well, don't you? My mother went into a coma and died after having me because she wasn't getting enough nutrients. You'll be lucky to get one 'heir' out of me, especially if you keep starving me of blood and draining me every chance you get. Also, what in the hell would you do if I had an allergic reaction to whatever this shit is you've been spiking my food with?"

"Trust me, Levi, you are _far_ too valuable for me to be careless with your health. I never drink more than I need to from you; never enough to weaken you to the point of risking your life. I'm also aware of the Ackerman clan's woefully poor birth rate, which is why I've been searching for so long for one like yourself. I'll see to it that you get more than enough nutrients, once I've confirmed a pregnancy. As for inducing your heat, I wasn't foolish enough to start you out on a full dose of the omega aphrodisiacs I've been using, you know. I started out with small doses to test it. Once I was certain there were no negative side-effects, I increased it. You are probably safer under my care than anywhere else in the world."

Levi started to shake with rage. He wanted to pounce on this arrogant alpha, wanted to sink his teeth into his throat and rip it right out. He had never wanted to see someone dead so badly in his life, but he had more than himself to think about. Not only did Eren and Armin's safety depend on his cooperation, but Erwin was also at greater than average risk, if he pushed it.

"I want to see my friends," Levi announced after calming himself. "I want proof that those brats are okay."

"They'll be at the party," answered the doctor. "Your friend Eren is part of the entertainment. I would consider letting you dance as well, but you're obviously not steady enough on your feet right now."

"And whose fault is that?" Levi shot back, but inwardly he was already plotting how he would get the message to one or both of his fellow abductees. He was also feeling a little desperate. He had to find some way to buy more time, either to plan out his own escape or to give Kenny's allies time to move in. Levi was finding it difficult to concentrate, though. His body's urges were getting stronger, and he had precious little time before he'd be at the mercy of his heat. He didn't want to believe for a second that he would give into Carver and let him fuck him without a struggle, but that wouldn't even matter if the man intended to go the artificial route to get what he wanted.

"Let's not get into the debate of whose fault it is," reasoned Carver. "I could say that if you were more cooperative, this wouldn't have been necessary. I could also say that if your mate were dead, it wouldn't be necessary. I'm sure given the option between having your heat induced and having your alpha killed, you would prefer the former. Am I wrong, Levi?"

 _~Disgusting, low-life pig,~_ thought Levi, but he tempered himself not to say it aloud. If for no other reason than to protect those he cared for, he censored himself.

"You'll let me talk to Eren and Armin?"

"I see no harm in that," agreed Carver. "Just behave yourself, and be respectful to Mr. Pinchet when I present you to him. Let me do all the talking. We don't need that potty mouth of yours complicating things."

"I'll be as silent as the dead," promised Levi. _~Which is what you're going to be eventually, creep. I'll see to it.~_

* * *

"Erwin, can you run that by me again?" Hange was blinking at the mafia boss. The expression on her hawkish features said that she thought he was on the verge of a breakdown.

"I said," Erwin repeated patiently, "that Levi, Kenny and Mikasa are all vampires."

Even as the words came out of his mouth and he looked at each of his captains' in turn, he wondered if he was making a mistake in coming out with it. Kenny currently sat to the right of him, and Mikasa to the left. They'd both agreed to part with their secret for the sake of making this fight against Pinchet and his syndicate go a little more smoothly. It wasn't an easy choice to make. Erwin must have rehearsed his speech a dozen times in front of a mirror before finally deciding to just come right out with it.

Oluo's brows furrowed, and he looked between Mikasa and Kenny with an almost comical expression of concentration. Levi probably would have referred to it as his "smell the fart" look.

"Boss," Nanaba said carefully, "I hate to be the one to say it and I know you're stressed over Levi, but this is going a bit too far."

"Yeah, I'm with her," stated Dita. "Look, we all know you're not the sort of guy to make inappropriate jokes, but you're under a lot of strain. Maybe you should just take a couple of day's rest."

Erwin sighed. He'd been expecting this sort of reaction from them. "Rest is something I really can't imbibe in, right now. You all know that. I'm not speaking simply from a place of raw emotion. This is real. Mikasa. Kenny. Show them."

Kenny sighed and crossed an ankle over his knee. He shrugged, and one second after Mikasa pulled her lips off and displayed her fangs elongating, he did the same.

Hange jumped up from her seat. Everyone else stared openly...except for Mike—who looked strangely unimpressed.

"I knew it. I _knew_ something was off! Can I touch your fangs?"

She was practically drooling as she bent over Mikasa and started closing in with her thumbs.

"Ma'am, with all due respect, please don't," stated Mikasa calmly.

Hange paused, looked into the vampire female's eyes, and huffed a sigh. "Well, you can't blame me for trying. Obviously this isn't some sort of special effect setup. How do the fangs work? Are they like cat claws? Are they hollow like a viper fang? Do you draw the blood out from—"

"Hange, enough," interrupted Erwin sternly, though some of her questions piqued his interest, he had to admit. He'd never really stopped to study Levi's fangs closely or ask much about them. "We're going to explain as much as possible. Save the basic biology for another time. What you and the others need to know about right now is what to expect if any other vampires from our rival syndicate come stirring trouble."

"Whoa, 'other vampires'?" blurted Oluo, going pale. "How many of them _are_ there? This is all news to me!"

Erwin contained his frustration, doing his best to keep a level head. He glanced over at Mike, sitting across from him, and he found the other blond's cool to be frankly amazing. "Mike, you don't seem terribly surprised by this revelation."

Mike shrugged. He shot a glance at Kenny, then at Mikasa. "It explains a lot."

"Oh yeah?" Kenny cocked his head with interest. "How so?"

"Your scent," explained Mike. "Something's been bothering me about it, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Same goes for Mikasa and Levi."

Erwin's full attention was now focused on his underboss. Mike had always been intuitive, and his sense of smell was freakishly sharp. "What do you mean? What do they smell like?"

"Death."

Mikasa blinked, and Kenny raised an arm and sniffed his own pit. "Oi, I bathe regularly," protested the latter.

"It doesn't stink," clarified Mike. He shrugged again. "That's just the easiest way I can describe it. Didn't say you smell rotten. Predators carry a wild scent with them, though. I pick up on the same thing from big cats and bears at the zoo. It's subtle. Regular humans have it too, but not like yours. First time I smelled it was when we recruited Mikasa. Then I got the same thing from Levi the first time I saw him dance. Then I picked up on the same thing from you. It's kind of like patchouli. Earthy, raw...that's the only way I can describe it."

"Wow, that is some nose you've got there, pal," Kenny stated, obviously impressed.

Hange boldly ruffled the big blond alpha's hair. "That's our bloodhound! Why didn't you ever say anything, Mike?"

Mike sniffed. "Like you would have believed me."

Erwin noticed that both Dita and Oluo had gone silent. He looked at them each in turn, worried that they weren't taking the revelation very well. Nanaba seemed focused on Mike, which was no surprise. "Are you all going to be able to cope with this? There's still a lot of ground to cover, and nobody in this family can afford the luxury of having a breakdown right now."

"Sure," Dita rasped, openly staring at Mikasa and Kenny. "Sorry boss; I'm just trying not to shit myself right now."

Oluo swallowed. "So what do we need to know, Erwin? Are you saying more people like these two might be coming for us?"

"Yes," confirmed Erwin calmly. He felt like he was back in his element again, and though a part of him shuddered with fear for his mate, he shelved it for the sake of his underlings. "I'm saying exactly that. I'll give you all a moment to digest this, and then we'll go over the fine points of how you can defend yourselves against enemies of this nature. Kenny and Mikasa will be at my side at all times, due to the strong possibility that Carver might send assassins after me."

"Carver?" repeated Nanaba, her small nose crinkling. "Are you suggesting he's like them?"

"Yes." Erwin nodded. "Though apparently, different vampire clans have a different range of abilities, strengths and weaknesses. I'm going to explain it all to you, so pull yourselves together, have some refreshment and come back into this meeting room in thirty minutes. I wish I could give you more time to absorb this, but the clock is ticking."

* * *

Mikasa pushed back a sigh of irritation when they converged again for the second part of the meeting. Oluo had excused himself and taken off during the break, and he came back in wearing a ring of garlic around his neck and holding a big wooden cross in one hand. He looked ridiculous; like some B-movie vampire slayer.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, forgetting to address him with respect in her annoyance.

"Little miss, I'm not taking any chances," sniffed Oluo. His eyes were watering from the fumes of his own smelly necklace.

Mikasa let loose the sigh she was holding in. "Well, you've just wasted money. Garlic doesn't work, and crosses only work against certain vampires. If you'd just waited, you'd learn all of this."

Erwin came up behind her, and the mafia boss was smirking with subtle amusement as he looked at Oluo. "She's right. All you've managed to do is make yourself smell repulsive, Oluo. Take the garlic off. You can store it in my refrigerator until the meeting is finished."

"Hey, I'm not taking this off until I leave!"

Hange came in at that moment, and she waved the air to clear some of the fumes. "Phew! Oluo, you smell like my cooking!" She paused and placed a finger against the right corner of her mouth. "Wait, what does that say about my cooking?"

"You use too much garlic," Mike obliged. He frowned as he came up to Oluo, and his face took on a deadly serious expression. "Get rid of the garlic before I throw you through that window over there."

Oluo deflated under the big blond alpha's warning. He glanced around at the others, and he pulled the wreath off of his neck. "Fine, but if I get bitten—"

"Relax, stinky," interrupted Kenny, plugging his nose. "You're about as appetizing as a wet turd as it is. Me and the girl are your allies, anyways. We're not gonna bite anyone. I'd sooner break your neck than drink from you, anyhow."

"All right, that was uncalled for," Erwin chastised. He was keeping a straight face, but Mikasa could see a spark of amusement in his bright blue eyes. "Oluo, you know I would never put any of you at un-necessary risk. Please remove the garlic and come back. I would almost offer you a shower, but we don't have time for that."

Mikasa had to admit, Erwin was probably the most polite, yet stern boss she'd ever worked under. Oluo sighed, nodded and left the room, blessedly freeing them all from the overpowering pungency of his herbal necklace. Everyone took their seats, and they waited for Oluo to return before Erwin began. Dita promptly scooted away from his fellow captain when Oluo sat down next to him, apparently repulsed by the lingering aroma of the raw garlic.

Mikasa smirked. "It seems garlic is more effective as a repellant against ordinary humans than vampires," she whispered to Kenny.

"Heh, no joke." Kenny smirked sidelong at her. "Maybe I ought to have my dancers wear it from now on."

Mikasa stared at him.

"What?" Kenny muttered, looking oddly embarrassed.

"You've changed," she whispered back, studying him closely. "You're...protective."

"Just looking out for my girls," he excused. Kenny took a sip from the flask of whiskey he'd brought with him.

"Interesting how you've never done that before now," observed Mikasa. Her heart ached as she thought of Eren and Armin, and she wondered for perhaps the thousandth time if they were both okay. "Now you're starting to sound like a _real_ alpha."

Kenny snorted. "People change, kid. Roll with it."

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMFG Oluo...he cracked me up while writing this. I can just see him with a deadpan expression and a wreath of garlic around his neck. I don't mean to pick on him but it comes so easy to me in this story. Okay, I told myself I wasn't going to do the silly recaps with this fanfic, but I have to make an exception in this case, so here you go!
> 
> Erwin: "I think I'm about to lose my shit."
> 
> Hange: "Crap! He's lost his shit! Mike, do something!"
> 
> Mike *grunting* "Trying..."
> 
> Mikasa: "Sir, stop being an asshole and focus."
> 
> Erwin: "...you're right. I'm being an asshole."
> 
> Carver: "Tee-hee! You're so cute, Levi! I can't wait for you to have my babies!"
> 
> Levi: (;¬_¬) "You are seriously fucked up in the head."
> 
> Erwin: "So now that we're all here, I have an announcement. Vampires are real, we're allied with two of them and my mate happens to be one. Oh, and so is his kidnapper. Any questions?"
> 
> *Hands go up immediately*
> 
> Oluo: "What? Garlic and crosses are fashionable these days."
> 
> Mike: "Take that shit off your neck before I throw you through a window."
> 
> Kenny: "What's this? I have this weird feeling in my gut."
> 
> Mikasa: "And the Grinch's heart grew three sizes, that day."


	21. Chapter 21

Eren couldn't believe his eyes. There, sitting quietly beside Dr. Carver at one of the tables, was Levi. He froze in mid-step, forgetting all about the horrible night he was likely to face. He suffered a terrifying sense of doom when he spotted his mentor, sitting there as meekly as a trained dog. Like himself, Levi was wearing a collar that would likely shock him if he stepped out of designated boundaries. Eren was due to be "chipped" soon, which would eliminate the need for the collar but dash his hopes of escape even more. Levi apparently would suffer the same fate, and that made Eren scream internally.

He started to walk towards Levi, but at that moment, the vampire omega's eyes met his, and Levi gave a bare shake of his head. It was barely noticeable; hardly a movement. Eren caught it though, and he stopped himself. Biting his lip, he glanced over at the table where Oswald Pinchet sat, and he saw the scowl on the man's face. Pinchet tugged lightly on the chain connected to Armin's collar...a subtle reminder that he had the blond at his mercy should Eren piss him off.

"Damn you," muttered Eren beneath his breath, and he resumed his dancing. He tried to ignore the flashing signs popping up from people as they bidded on him. He tried not to think of the things he would have to do with and to one of those strangers by the end of the night.

_~How the hell did they get you too, Levi?~_

* * *

"Sun's coming down," Kenny observed, standing at the window of Erwin's penthouse. "It's the full moon. My folks are gonna be moving soon."

Erwin glanced up from his laptop. His entire body was singing with unleashed violence, and he wanted nothing more than to show up there in person and rip some heads off. Logic had prevailed though, and he counted on Levi's strength as a survivor. He knew he was alive. He also knew he was in distress, but it was so vague that he couldn't pinpoint the cause of that distress. It could be that he was just angry, or it could be a multitude of things. Erwin tried not to think of the possibilities behind the upset he sensed from his mate. If he focused too much on it, he might lose control again.

"How soon do you think we can expect action?"

Kenny turned from the window, and he checked his watch. "Given the time zone difference, I'd say no more than two hours from now. I can call up and confirm that now if ya want."

"Please do," encouraged Erwin with a nod. At least today he was clean-shaven. He'd let himself go for a few days, until Hange boldly told him he was starting to stink. She told him Levi wouldn't want him all smelly when they were reunited, and Erwin finally cleaned himself up.

_~Levi...I love you so fucking much. I didn't even realize myself how strong it was until recently.~_

Erwin had never been a man to dream of family and white picket fences, but now he was very tired of the life of a bachelor, and he'd surprised himself just last night by fantasizing over what it might be like for him to have children and some semblance of a domestic life with his hot-headed little omega.

Kenny pulled out his mobile, and he dialed up a number. He brought the device to his ear and he waited. "Yo, Airi. It's Kenny. How's it going?" he said when the other person picked up. He listened, and he glanced out the window with his eyes narrowed against the early evening sunlight. "Yeah, I'm looking at it right now. Smith wants to know when we can expect ya to move in. Got an estimate for me?"

Kenny went quiet again, and Erwin detected the faint sound of a female voice answering the other alpha over the phone. Kenny nodded, and he looked back at the mafia boss. "She says two hours, like I thought," he announced. He addressed his companion on the phone. "Sounds good, toots. You got the picture I sent of my nephew, right? Yeah, good. Go for him first, and he can lead you to Eren and that blond kid after that. Yeah, we'll be settled after this. Thanks."

Kenny hung up the phone, breathed a sigh, and walked away from the window towards Erwin's position at the meeting table. "They're gonna move in as soon as they can, blondie. I know it's been tough waiting, but trust me; they'll get the runt and his buddies out of there tonight."

The relief in Kenny's voice wasn't lost on Erwin. For that reason alone, some of the tension in his body eased up. "You have real faith in this clan."

Kenny shrugged. "Yeah. Maybe it sounds like a stereotype, but they're like a bunch of ninjas. Don't tell any of 'em I said that, though. They might get pissy."

Erwin smirked. "Mum's the word." He wanted to know more about the Akimoto clan and how Kenny enlisted their help, but his thoughts were so focused on his mate right now that he declined. He would get his answers later, once Levi was home safe and back in his arms.

An idea came to him then, and it was far too appealing to let it go. They had the location of Pinchet's estate. They had the location of where Levi had been dropped off. Erwin needed to make an example, he needed to let it be known in the world of organized crime that he was not the person people should fuck with. It was reckless, very dangerous and it could very well cost him his life, but his mate was in danger and so was his family.

"Oi, what are you doing?" Kenny asked when Erwin started to busily type on his laptop. He must have seen the expression of determination on his face.

"Making arrangements," answered the blond alpha softly. "I hope you mean it when you say you've got my back, Kenny."

* * *

The time seemed to crawl by like years for Levi, though he knew it had only been around an hour since he arrived at the party with Carver. He wasn't allowed to approach Eren or Armin right away. Instead, he was forced to sit at his captor's side and watch as guests tried to out-bid each other for the privilege of fucking Eren Jaeger. Finally, Eren's dance routine ended and Carver got up, pulling meaningfully on Levi's leash. The omega followed him dutifully, trying to keep his thoughts focused on things of greater importance than his personal pride. They approached the Stohess mafia boss, and Carver put an arm around Levi's waist. Levi fought back a shudder of revulsion.

"I would like to introduce my omega," Carver stated to his boss. He smiled at Levi in that creepy way of his. "Levi is going to give me the family I've been wanting for some time, Mr. Pinchet. He's lovely, isn't he?"

The king pen regarded Levi appraisingly, taking in his pale features and jet black hair. "He has a unique look to him, Richard. Isn't he one of the strippers from the Omega Experience?"

"Yes, but not one of those you intended to purchase," Carver quickly explained. "His uncle brought him to me. He's exactly what I've been searching for."

"Hmm, I see." Pinchet stroked his chin. "Well, he would fetch a fair price on the market."

Carver's expression hardened abruptly. "He isn't for sale."

Pinchet chuckled at the tight tone of his omega specialist's voice. "Of course. You obviously have plans for this little omega. Just keep it in mind that once you've gotten what you need from him, I'm willing to compensate you handsomely for him if you've lost your interest."

"I can't imagine that happening for a long time, if at all," Carver insisted, smiling humorlessly. He gave Levi a possessive squeeze. "As I've said: he's exactly what I've been searching for."

"Well, congratulations." Pinchet waved a hand dismissively. "You've certainly earned it. I can't say I'm not a little jealous. If only I could get the omega I wish for, too."

Levi knew immediately whom he was speaking of, and he resisted a cold smirk.

_~Yeah, good luck on that, you prick. Anybody that tries to lay a finger on Petra is gonna come back to you in too many pieces to put in a body bag. At least I know she'll be safe, with that crazed lunatic so enamored with her.~_

At once, Levi missed Hange. If she were there right now it would probably be a blood bath, and she'd come out crowning the pile of bodies with a mad grin on her face and a cackle. Sure, he made fun of shitty-glasses for her unpredictable ways, but Hange was nobody to underestimate.

"I'll do what I can to ensure that happens for you," Carver said, interrupting Levi's smug thoughts.

"You do seem to have connections that pull off amazing feats," remarked Pinchet with a nod. "I can wait."

Levi frowned impulsively. He hadn't considered Carver's "connections", and if anyone could manage to get past Hange to abduct Petra, they could. He glanced at Armin, standing close to Pinchet. The kid was looking right at him with open pity on his face. Armin was certainly not a naive person, and Carver had made his intentions clear.

_~Don't give me that pitying look yet, brat. I'm not beaten.~_

* * *

Eren's relief over not being immediately escorted to a VIP room to "entertain" the highest bidder on him was short-lived. He learned that he wouldn't have to put out until after the party, which was a plus, but then he heard about how Levi ended up there under the doctor's custody. He became immediately enraged, and one of his fellow omega captives quickly cautioned him when he started spouting off promises to tear Kenny Ackerman's head off his shoulders.

"Eren, please!" cried Nicole when the omega male threw a glass mug against the wall, shattering it. "Don't get the guards on us! I'm sorry I even mentioned it...I didn't know he was your friend. You're going to get in trouble!"

Eren dragged his fingers through his hair, and he calmed himself with visible effort. He didn't want other people to get into trouble because of him, and he liked Nicole. "Sorry," he rasped. "It's just...I don't know how they got him. Doesn't make sense. Levi's tougher than most alpha's I've met, but they still...if anything happens to him, I'll..."

He didn't know exactly _what_ he'd do, because he was just as helpless as any of the other unfortunate slaves in this place. Eren knew how to fight, and he could put up quite a struggle, but he had Armin's safety to think about. He couldn't go charging to Levi's rescue without endangering the life of his blond friend, and he knew that Levi could normally take care of himself. It just didn't make any sense to him. He loved his mentor. He loved Armin. He loved living. It was all too impossible to deal with.

"Hey," Nicole whispered, cupping his face. Her small, dark-toned face was surrounded by rich, chocolate-colored ringlets. She gave him a tremulous smile, and her deep brown eyes glistened with unshed tears. "We have to do what we can to survive this, handsome. Don't lose your shit on me now."

Eren sniffled, so angry that he was moved to tears. He shook his head, tried to speak and choked. The omega girl hugged him tightly, obviously understanding his emotions.

"Shh, we're alive," whispered Nicole as he drew Eren's head down to rest on her shoulder. She rubbed his back comfortingly. "Stay that way, all right?"

* * *

Levi tried to shrug off Carver's touch at first, but then the sadistic bastard reminded him softly of their arrangement. Levi bit his lip and endured the doctor's bold caress, keeping his gaze lowered as he sat close to him. He knew his scent was attracting attention. He'd seen more than one alpha turn their head his way and inhale the air as he passed by. The silver pendant dangling between his pecs wasn't enough to deter Carver from pulling his shirt open and fondling his nipples. The doctor avoided direct contact with the silver, but he seemed determined to touch Levi regardless of the alloy he'd donned him with that most vampires—including Carver himself—bore such an allergy to.

"Your scent is changing," murmured Carver against Levi's ear, leaning close to him. He inhaled deeply, breathing in the pheromones Levi was putting off. "Should we call it an early night, pet?"

Levi's breath caught, and he found himself fantasizing that it was Erwin's fingers gently squeezing his nipples, rather than this repulsive asshole's. "I'm fine."

"Apt word usage," husked Carver. He circled Levi's nipples with the pads of his fingers, and the he rubbed the taut little buds. "All you need to do is ask me for it, Levi. I can make you feel so much better."

It was probably the most debasing moment Levi had ever experienced, but his loyalty to his mate still won out over his body's growing urges. "No thanks. You said I could speak with my friends."

Carver's invasive touch blessedly ceased. He squeezed Levi's shoulders, and he pulled the omega's shirt closed. "I did, didn't I? Well, I'm a man of my word. Unfortunately, your friend Arlert seems currently occupied as a translator for the boss. I believe I saw Eren going to the kitchen, though. You'd better hurry, little raven. He's due to entertain, soon."

Carver unfastened the leash connecting to Levi's collar, and he patted him on the rump familiarly. "You have free rein for now, pet. Don't abuse it, though. If you set foot beyond the boundaries laid down around this estate, you'll get a shock nasty enough to incapacitate even one of our kind. If you try to remove your collar, the same thing will happen. Keep that in mind."

Levi gnashed his teeth, fighting back his frustration. This was the first time his captor had ever really taken liberties with his body, beyond feeding on him. He could barely stand feeling the creep's hands touching him so intimately. "Crystal clear."

Knowing he was flushed and beginning to sweat with his impending heat, Levi quickly left the common room, passing by tables occupied by Pinchet's guests and syndicate members. He wanted to flip off some of the alphas that gave him cat-calls in passing, but he refrained. They knew who he "belonged" to, and an appreciative whistle or glance was all any of them were likely to try with him.

* * *

"Eren, quite bawling and listen to me."

The green-eyed dancer gave a start at the unexpected but familiar voice interrupting his emotional moment. He pulled away from the other omega trying so hard to comfort him, and he wiped his eyes.

"Levi!"

Nearly tripping himself, Eren went to his mentor and he grabbed Levi by his shoulders, looking him up and down to assure himself that the older dancer was physically unharmed. "What in the hell are you doing here? How did they get you? Why are you letting that guy—"

Levi interrupted him, plastering his palm against Eren's animated lips to muffle his questions. He shot a glance at Nicole. "You. Scat. We need a private moment."

Nicole bristled at his tone initially, but it only took a second of Levi's steady gaze to change her mind about whatever protest was on her mind. She looked at Eren. "And you were worried about him," she snorted. "Excuse me."

She turned on her heel and left. Eren grimaced a bit, watching her go. "Sorry, Nicky. He's uh...well, he's Levi."

"Whatever," she shot over her shoulder, waving dismissively.

Eren chuckled in spite of himself. He hadn't really disclosed much about his friends to his fellow captives, but he'd described Levi to her without actually telling her his name. He wished he could adopt her attitude in this situation. Once they were alone, he turned to regard Levi.

"What's going on? You _can't_ have been captured that easily."

"I was duped," Levi stated in a low voice, but there was something in his face that gave Eren pause. "It doesn't matter. All I can say right now is you should stick as close to Armin as possible, okay? No matter what you see or hear, don't lose your shit."

Eren's brows shot up. At that same moment, he realized how sweaty and flushed Levi was. Though he didn't have the sensitivity to the heat scent of his fellow omegas that alphas bore, he could recognize the symptoms. In addition, he could sense how weak Levi was. He'd seen it time and time again, when the older dancer neglected to feed properly. His fear for Levi grew. "What's he done to you?"

Levi shook his head. "Doesn't matter right now. I'm fine, okay?"

"You don't _look_ fine," protested Eren. He was all too familiar with the signs of malnourishment in his mentor. "You're too pale. You can barely stand up on your own. Is he starving you?"

Levi sighed. "Eren, I'm going to be fine. Just listen to me and get the message to Armin somehow. I can't give you details. Just keep your cool."

Eren didn't find his words comforting at all. He tugged at his collar, and he turned his face to the side. "You should drink."

Levi's breath quickened, indicating that he was quite tempted by the offer. His pale gaze fixated on Eren's throat, and he swallowed. "No. They'd see the marks. It would raise questions. I'll be all right."

Eren frowned at him, and it finally dawned on him that Levi's current state wasn't just due to blood hunger. "Shit...you're going into heat."

Levi shut his eyes. "Yeah. If you want to help me, see if you or Armin can get your hands on a strong suppressant. We shouldn't have to wait much longer, though."

Eren could tell his mentor's concentration was wavering. In fact, Levi looked like he was on the verge of passing out. Eren knew they were safe from audio monitoring in their current location, but someone could pass through at any moment and overhear. He only partially understood what the older omega had hinted at, but it was enough to go by. Help was on the way. They just needed to hang on for long enough. Eren was really getting worried about Levi, though. He'd seen the calculating looks that Levi's handler had been giving him. Of the three of them, Levi was probably in the most danger right now.

"Hang on, Levi," urged Eren softly. He hugged the smaller man close when he saw Levi's balance start to waver, and he felt another surge of rage. His eyes practically glowed green and gold, and he wished he could do more. "Just a little while longer."

Levi slumped against him, and Eren realized with alarm that he was losing consciousness. "Shit! Levi! Hey, wake up!"

It went against every instinct he had, but Eren supported the older omega with one arm and slapped him smartly against the cheek. Levi's eyes fluttered open, and Eren wondered if he was about to get his ass kicked.

"I've got this," slurred Levi. His features were flushed now, and his breath started coming in short, desperate little pants. "I'm okay."

"Damn it," growled Eren. "Drink! I don't care, okay? I can say I fell on a fork or something. They know I'm a klutz."

Levi smirked up at him. "No. Too obvious. I could bite you on the inner thigh, but that's pretty fucking intimate and if you end up having to..."

He trailed off, and his slack expression grew hard and cold.

"You mean if I end up having to fuck someone, they'd still notice," Eren finished for him. It made him sick to say it out loud. He was prepared to do whatever he had to do in order to keep Armin safe, but he sure as hell wasn't eager to give it up against his will.

Levi pushed away from him, staggering a little. "Stall it. Postpone it for as long as you can, brat. Don't give in 'till you absolutely have to."

Eren nodded, giving the older dancer a sorrowful look. He guessed that Levi's comment was as much for himself as for Eren. "I'm scared for you."

Levi's hard expression softened a bit, and he looked Eren in the eyes. "Oi, we're gonna make it, kid. Just remember what I told you." Levi took a deep breath, steadying himself. "I'd better go now. That sicko's going to send someone after me if I take too long."

Eren felt like crying. "Levi, please be careful."

"Don't worry about me," insisted the smaller omega. "Concentrate on you and Armin."

* * *

Levi returned to his captor's side a short while later, and he accepted it when Carver re-attached his collar. He sat down beside him again, struggling not to pant. It was happening fast now, and he couldn't help but cringe when the alpha vampire nuzzled his hair and inhaled his scent deeply.

"I think we've lingered here for long enough," murmured Carver. "You need rest, little one."

Levi wasn't about to let his guard down, but he was very, very tired. He was horny as hell too, and as much as he protested his condition, there was nothing he could do about the erection in his pants. He glanced around with hooded eyes, and he saw other alphas in the common room looking at him intently. Carver's suggestion made a sick kind of practical sense. In his own twisted way, the man was trying to protect Levi. Alphas were, of course, naturally drawn to the scent of an omega in heat.

_~He's just protecting his investment, not defending my fucking honor. Shit, I can't let myself weaken. Erwin, I'm not gonna let him do this to me without a fight. You're my alpha. You're the only one that gets inside me. I'll fight this with everything I've got.~_

Levi made a little choked sound before he knew it, realizing that his body's urges had weakened his resolve enough that he'd actually felt _grateful_ for a moment that Carver was getting him away from other alphas. He let the man help him up out of his chair, didn't protest when Carver put an arm around his waist to support him, but he kept it firmly in mind that he wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for his captor spiking his food. What hurt even more than his pride though was Levi's sincere concern that he might actually give in just to get relief. If he allowed that to happen, he would never be able to face his mate again.

Carver took him out of the estate, calling his driver in the process of leaving. He put in some kind of code on his phone that made Levi's collar beep, just as he'd done when they'd left to go there. Levi had hopes that he would leave him un-blindfolded on the ride back to the holding compound so that he could get some idea of his bearings, but he was in no such luck. Carver ordered him to close his eyes before they stepped out of the guarded double-doors, and Levi clenched his jaw and did so. His captor tied the blindfold back onto Levi's head, tugging it to make sure it was sufficiently in place. He then guided the omega's steps, and they got into the car that had pulled up for them.

Sweating, flushed and breathless from the heat that had come upon him, Levi nonetheless braced himself the entire way to their destination, expecting to feel Carver's hands on his body. Surprisingly, the man didn't touch him except to keep one arm around him and hold him close. It confused him, but he was having difficulty with his concentration anyway.

"I can imagine what you should be thinking right now," murmured Carver against the omega's ear. He gave Levi's shoulder a little squeeze. "You expect I'll sexually force myself on you."

Levi shuddered involuntarily. "The thought crossed my mind, yeah."

"Ah, but Levi, I've already told you: I don't need to do that to get what I want most from you." Carver kissed his temple, a husky note creeping into his voice. "You are very beautiful, and I'm certainly not immune to your omega scent, but I'm a patient man. I can wait. Will I impregnate you? Yes, of course. I won't do it through sexual intercourse until you've become less reluctant, however. Does that comfort you?"

"You're still violating me either way," growled Levi, though some part of him crumbled inside with relief. He wasn't going to get raped...at least not in the way he most feared. There was no guarantee it would take regardless of which route Carver tried to take to knock him up, with or without a heat. His biggest concern was in staying loyal to his mate no matter what.

"I wish there were an easier way," sighed Carver. "You are such a unique creature, Levi. I wish I'd found you before you became pair-bonded with another. I wish I could have courted you. I have hopes that you'll come around eventually. Perhaps after the first baby comes, you'll start to see me in a different light."

If Levi's eyes weren't blindfolded, he would have looked at the alpha incredulously. Crazy. Richard Carver was flat-out, batshit insane. Any doubts he might have harbored about that went right out the window. The mad fucker actually expected Levi to start _loving him_ eventually? He would have thought he was pulling his leg, but Carver sounded so completely sincere. The guy _really_ believed he wasn't doing anything wrong, and that was slightly terrifying.

"You're out of your mind," Levi stated, unable to filter himself in his disgust.

"Am I?" There was a hint of amusement in Carver's voice. "I'll let that one slide, because I know how uncomfortable you must be right now. Just remember, Levi: I don't have to be generous. I'm being considerate of you, and I've refrained from making a move against your mate for your sake. I don't have to. I could say the word and your precious Erwin could be six feet under within days. I haven't done that yet, because I want to be kind to you. Don't you see? I'm putting myself at a significant disadvantage to spare you the sorrow of losing your mate. You should try to be more grateful to me, from now on."

Levi couldn't take it any longer. Those words, spoken with such sincerity as if from a wronged party, made him finally lose his composure. He didn't spew profanities at Carver as he would have normally chosen to. Instead, he bent over and spewed the remainder of his undigested stomach contents straight into the doctor's lap.

* * *

The party lasted for quite some time, and Eren was thankful for that. He kept having to dance, but he didn't mind that considering that he knew when he was finished entertaining, he was going to go to the highest bidder. He supposed he could have it worse; the alpha male that won was good-looking and he seemed to be in decent shape. It was a suck-ass thing to be grateful for, though, knowing he was going to get dicked up the ass by someone marginally attractive rather than a wrinkled old dude.

As Eren danced, he purposely made his way over towards Armin, and he kept thinking of how fucked up his own logic was.

_~I'm just trying to survive...just trying to buy us time and keep Armin safe. God, Levi, I wish I could do the same for you.~_

It occurred to Eren that he'd become rather desensitized. A hard life had made him less conscious about what happened to him personally, and yet he was all too aware of danger to those whom he cared for. It would be more traumatic for him to witness something happening to Armin or Levi than to endure sexual violation himself.

_~Can't let that happen. Can't let anything happen to either of them! Fuck, I need to think! What can I do? Levi said to be ready, but he wouldn't say what for! I'm so damned confused.~_

Eren damned near collided with Armin, so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't realize he was closer to his blond friend than he realized. He righted himself just before he would have body-slammed Armin by accident. As it was, he still bumped into him and Armin nearly spilled the tray of drinks he was carrying.

"Shit, sorry Armin," whispered Eren in apology.

Wide blue eyes gazed at him from beneath pale bangs, and Eren couldn't help but think he was the cutest waiter ever.

"Eren, are you okay?" whispered Armin. "Is Levi going to be all right?"

Eren bit his lip. He couldn't answer the second part of that inquiry with any certainty, so he just stuck with the instructions given to him. "We don't have time to worry about that." He liked to think he was using his "Levi Voice" and sounding way more confident than he felt. "Levi said to be ready, so no matter what happens, just...be ready."

Armin favored Eren with an openly puzzled look. He really had no poker-face to speak of. "What does that mean?"

Eren shook his head, looking around cautiously to see if anyone was paying close attention to their exchange. "I don't know," he admitted out the corner of his mouth, "but we didn't get a chance to talk much. Just...be ready, okay?"

Armin's pale blue eyes were hopelessly confused, but he nodded. "Okay, I'll try. I don't understand what you mean, but I'll try."

"Armin! We're thirsty over here!"

The shout from Oswald reminded both of the captives of their position. "Sorry, sir!" called Armin, and he hurried to the mafia boss's side. Eren checked a sigh, and he resumed his dancing. He couldn't help but think of the way his scholarly friend had reacted to the discovery of Mikasa's vampirism, and he hoped that whatever was to come wouldn't scar Armin for life.

* * *

Whatever Levi had up his sleeve, it wasn't coming fast enough. Eren reluctantly entered the room he'd been escorted to, and he found his highest bidder lying on the king-sized bed waiting for him. He hated himself. He'd completely forgotten to ask Armin if he could get his hands on some emergency suppressants for Levi. He really hadn't had much time to think and react, truth be told, but he blamed himself all the same.

_~Mikasa, I'm so sorry. Armin...I'm just trying to keep you safe. Levi, I've failed you.~_

"You are fucking stunning," stated Eren's "client" eying him up and down with appreciation. Right now, the young dancer was wearing an ensemble of tight black pants, an open, metallic gold shirt and a pair of gold colored boots to match the shirt. "I've been waiting all night for this. Come here. Wait, on second thought, I think I'll come to you."

Eren swallowed as the alpha male got up off the bed and approached him. He didn't move, and he didn't resist when the man came up to him and started to unbutton his shirt.

"So gorgeous," whispered the client, his pale gray eyes devouring Eren as he pulled his shirt open to look at his chest and torso. "If I weren't already mated, I'd be tempted to buy you from Oswald. My wife would never approve, though."

Eren swallowed again. He was starting to feel sick. He looked directly at the guy, and he forced his expression into something less disgusted than what he felt inside. "If I make you happy, you'll tell him so, right?"

The man paused, and he looked at Eren. "Yes, I'll tell him. You're a good boy, aren't you?"

The comment made Eren want to punch him. His eyes went from green to gold, and he spoke through his teeth, forcing a smile. "When I have to be, sir."

"Hmm." The alpha's hand stroked Eren's chest familiarly, and then he put both hands on the omega's shoulders and pushed, hinting and guiding. "Then make me happy, Eren. I'll put in a good word for you."

The stipulation wasn't lost on Eren. He sank slowly to his knees. He just hoped the guy had washed up and he wouldn't end up with dick cheese in his mouth. Cum he could handle, but not stale, sweaty...okay, best not to think of that.

"I'll make you happy."

He started to unzip his client's pants, but then something completely weird and unexpected happened. A black fog manifested in the room, and Levi materialized out of it. The small, raven-haired omega's booted foot snapped out before Eren could fully register what was happening, and the alpha client grunted with surprise before falling backwards and knocking into the bed.

"He's not here to make you or anyone else 'happy'," stated Levi in a growl as Eren gaped.

Behind Levi was a woman of Asian lineage. Her long, black hair was fashioned into box braids and the tips of them were dyed green. Her eyes were just as green as the tips of her hair, and she looked between Eren's would-be sexual partner and the young dancer in a curious manner. Her irises seemed huge to him, taking up most of the whites of her eyes.

"Levi, are we done here?" she asked softly.

Standing over the man he'd just knocked the wind out of with his fists clenched, Levi nodded curtly. "Yeah, we're done." He turned to face Eren, who was standing there with his jaw dropped with an open expression of bewilderment. "Where's Armin, kid? We've got to move."

Levi had told Eren to be prepared, but this was a bit more than he was anticipating. He stared at the woman who had managed to somehow materialize out of thin air with his mentor, and Eren's gaze flicked from her delicate features to the sharp daggers gripped in her hands. Her nails were painted emerald green, matching her eyes and the ends of her braids.

"Uh...I'm not sure."

Levi huffed softly, his pale features sparkling in the dim light with perspiration. "Oi, pull it together. We've only got a short window, Eren. Think. Where would he be at?"

Eren wracked his brain. "Probably with Oswald," he finally suggested. "He's been at his side most of the night. L-Levi, are you okay? Did Carver...do anything to you?"

"He didn't get the chance," explained Levi in clipped tones. "I puked all over him. He sort of lost interest in raping me after that."

Inappropriately, Eren giggled. He cleared his throat as both of his rescuers stared at him. "Sorry. I'm freaking out a little."

"Didn't I tell you not to do that?" warned Levi. "Lead the way, brat. Tell us where we need to go."

* * *

Armin faired no better than Eren when the trio came to him in Oswald Pinchet's bedroom. He was sleeping on a small mattress at the foot of his captor's bed when he felt the coldness permeate the room. He saw the dark mist form when the chill woke him up, and he parted his lips to yelp. The next thing he knew, Eren was crouched before him, covering his mouth to muffle his startled exclamation.

"It's okay," whispered Eren. "Don't panic, okay?"

Armin's sapphire eyes were huge in his face, flicking from his beloved friend's tanned features to the vampire pair standing behind him. Before he could even attempt a response, the door banged open and two alpha guards rushed in. Pinchet snorted and woke up, clearly disoriented and confused.

"What in the hell—" Pinchet cried.

The woman with Levi exploded into motion then, faster than Armin could even register. Her braids whirled in the air as she spun on her heels to face the opposition. Dressed all in black, she moved with the grace of a feline and the speed of a striking viper. There was a silver glisten of steel, a flash of sharp blades, and blood splattered the wall. At the same time, Levi pounced and Armin saw him go down with the other alpha, tearing into his throat with his teeth. Pinchet jumped up from his bed, yelling for help. A bloodied dagger found its way directly into the mafia boss's gaping mouth, and he stared with wide, terrified eyes at the woman wielding the blade.

"I will cut your tongue out," promised the female vampire, narrowing her bright green eyes.

There was a disturbance at that moment from outside of the room; shouts of alarm, followed by gunfire. Levi was still on the floor straddling the man he'd taken down, drinking from him with primal hunger. Eren was standing there with his fists clenched and a confused expression on his face. It had all happened so fast.

"Levi," Eren said, finally acting. He squatted down, nearly slipping on the blood pooled over the floor from the female vampire slitting the other guard's throat so quickly. He grabbed Levi's shoulder when he didn't get an answer. "Levi!"

The vampire omega gave a gasp, pulling away from his victim abruptly. Lips stained red with blood, Levi looked up at Eren with glowing silvery eyes. He appeared absurdly young at that moment, startled and confused. Armin crawled over to him, sharing Eren's concern despite the gruesome countenance. Neither of them were used to seeing Levi in such a state.

"I...didn't kill him," Levi gasped. As if reassuring himself, he pressed two fingers against the unconscious alpha guard's throat, checking his pulse. "He's still alive."

The ruckus from the hallway got louder. The sound of running footsteps came closer. Eren got shakily to his feet, snatching up the pistol from the dead guard's hand. He put himself between the gaping doorway and his companions, raising the gun he'd taken.

"Armin, stay behind me."

Armin frankly couldn't have moved to disobey the order even if he'd wanted to. He was utterly rooted to the spot, quaking with terror.

* * *

"I gotta hand it to you," stated Kenny as he ran alongside Erwin, "You are one crazy son of a bitch."

Erwin didn't respond to the observation. He was focused on the end of the corridor, where he'd seen two of the guards disappear behind an oaken door once the chaos started. They'd run into three members of the Akimoto clan during the process of infiltrating Pinchet's estates. It was much easier to break in than he'd expected, but considering the carnage already reaped by Kenny's allies, it wasn't so surprising. They'd born witness to one particularly devastating battle between two vampires, and Oluo held out his big clunky cross throughout the entire thing, practically pissing his pants as he watched the pair rip into each other like wild animals.

The victor of that battle was currently keeping pace with Erwin, and the mafia boss glanced sidelong at the bleeding man. His throat had been torn partway open, but he was holding up well considering his injuries. "I think we can handle this," Erwin suggested to the vampire, unwilling to lose such a valuable ally. "You should hang back."

The beta vampire, who had given his name as Hanzou, nodded silently, keeping one hand pressed against his damaged neck. He stumbled to a halt as Erwin, Kenny and Mike ran on ahead. Oluo, Dita and Hange were in the west wing of the estate, having split up from the group upon Erwin's instructions to search that area. Mikasa had been left behind to help guard the other dancers, despite her objections. Erwin felt it was for the best to have at least one Ackerman keeping an eye on the other omegas, just in case opposition of the inhuman variety found out where they were and showed up in an attempt to collect them.

Erwin checked his ammo as his group approached the open doorway. He could sense his mate close by, and his heart began to pound furiously. He felt Levi's distress more keenly now that such distance didn't separate them, and he silently prayed he was all right. It was difficult to remain focused with his missing omega so close to him now, but Erwin was more in control of himself since his breakdown. He'd buckled down for Levi's sake and he was doing his best to keep his head.

When he got through the door, leading the way, Erwin slipped on blood and would have gone down if not for Mike grabbing and steadying him from behind. He started to thank his underboss, but the words froze on his lips when he saw the scene before him. Crouched on the floor beside one of the guards' body was his mate, with Eren and Armin flanking him. Standing at the bed was the leader of the Akimoto rescue group. She had a kris blade dagger shoved in the mouth of Erwin's rival syndicate boss.

Erwin couldn't even bring himself to care about Pinchet. His eyes were only for Levi at the moment, and the moment they met one another's gaze, Levi stood up unsteadily. His mouth was bloodied, and his fangs were exposed and stained with the crimson fluid. Levi licked his lips, eyes still aglow with bloodlust. That glow faded as he stared up at his tall blond mate, and he whispered Erwin's name.

Erwin dropped his gun. He took Levi eagerly into his arms. He didn't care about the blood on his lips, or the fact that he was staining his trench coat as he held his mate close and pressed Levi's shocked little face against his chest.

"Levi," he murmured. The tightness in his throat made his voice husky. He rocked the omega, nuzzling his soft, dark hair. "Levi..."

"Erwin," answered Levi in return, rubbing his face against the taller man's chest like a cat. He trembled, and he hugged Erwin tightly.

Behind Erwin, Kenny spoke up. He addressed the woman holding Oswald captive. "Hey Airi. Long time, no see."

From the corner of his eye, Erwin saw her turn and nod in acknowledgment. "Kenny. We've fulfilled our vow. What shall I do with this one?" She nodded at Oswald, who was making choked sounds behind the blade of her dagger.

Erwin took a steadying breath, and he forced himself to let go of his mate so that he could bend over and retrieve the gun he'd dropped. He straightened up with it, and Levi stood at his side as he affixed Pinchet with a cold, blue stare. He didn't hesitate, nor did he speak. Erwin squeezed the trigger of his gun after aiming it directly at his rival's head. The silencer muffled the shot somewhat, but it did nothing to stop the splatter of brains and blood that blossomed from the back of Oswald's head as the bullet fired and exited out the back of his skull. Blank-faced with death, the enemy syndicate leader collapsed on his soiled bed.

"H-holy shit," blurted Eren, hugging Armin close to him with wide eyes. He was trying to cover the shocked blond's view with his hands, but it was a futile gesture. It had happened too fast, and it was over just like that.

Airi watched the man fall over, and the only reaction she gave to the sudden assassination was to lift a delicate, black brow. She glanced at Erwin, still standing there with his gun raised. "I see."

"Carver," Erwin said cooly, ignoring the shocked cry from Armin. "Where is he?"

"He's back at the compound where he was keeping me," informed Levi. He didn't seem as startled by Erwin's abrupt murder of Oswald as his fellow captives. He indicated Airi with a gesture, wiping his mouth off with his silken sleeve. "I wouldn't have been able to get out of there without her help. These fucking collars they've got on us are programmed to shock us if we set foot outside the perimeter. We've either got to find a way to short-circuit them, get them off or find a security remote to disable them before any of the slaves here can leave, Erwin."

Erwin regarded his mate, and fury lit up his gaze at the thought of Levi being subjected to an "Invisible fence" like some pet. "Do any of you know where we might find one of these remotes to deprogram the collars?"

"Um, Pinchet used some sort of application on his phone to control mine," Armin said in a trembling voice. He looked at the body of his former keeper, and he shuddered. "I'm sure he has a security code lock on his phone, though. Otherwise, it would be too easy for me to try and snatch it while he sleeps and disarm the collar myself. I think there's a different code for every collar, sir."

Erwin sighed. Of course. He hadn't expected it to be as easy as punching in some master code and calling it a night. "Then we'll have to rely on disabling the collars manually, one by one."

He pulled out his cellphone, located Hange's contact information and called her. "Hange, we've found Levi and the others. Where are you at?"

"Oh, I imagine we're just around the corner," she answered. "Some of Kenny's special friends pointed us in your direction. Is everyone okay, Erwin?"

Erwin looked at Levi, who was still wiping at his mouth. He'd gotten most of the blood off his face, but he still seemed shaken, and now that the excitement was more or less over with, Erwin could smell the heat scent coming from him. Eren and Armin were both clearly in a state of shock. Erwin couldn't say with any certainty that any of them hadn't been sexually violated, and he clenched his jaw hard.

"As far as I can tell, yes. I think all three of them will need you to look them over once we leave, but for now, we have other issues to consider. Every slave in the building has a collar on them that—"

"Oh yes, I know about the collars," interrupted Hange. "I just disarmed one on a charming young lady, in fact."

Erwin blinked, though he really shouldn't have been surprised to hear of Hange's quick work. "Good job. We'll need you to do the same with Levi, Eren and Armin's collars. I'm afraid we can't linger to do the same with every captive here though. The authorities should be here by tomorrow night, and we need to be gone by then. We don't have room to transport every slave out of here. The swat teams can free the rest of the captives in this estate and the compound. What I want to focus on right now is getting my mate and his companions out of here, and then I want Carver in our custody."

"He's mine," Levi growled.

Erwin paused, looking at his mate. There was a primal fury in Levi's silvery gaze. His pale irises had lit up again, reflective in the lamplight. Erwin nodded slowly, swallowing the sick feeling in his stomach.

"Understood, Levi. I promise you that should we capture Carver, he's to be taken alive for your judgment."

Kenny inched over to his nephew, looking him up and down. "You alright, brat?"

"No thanks to you," snapped Levi with a hard glare at the taller Ackerman. He caught his breath, and he swayed a little on his feet. "Erwin, hurry things up, would you? I need you to fuck me."

Erwin's jaw went slack at the blatant announcement, and Hange must have heard it through the phone. She cackled in his ear.

"It isn't funny," muttered Erwin, flushing. His groin stirred in reaction to that scent coming from his mate, and not for the first time, he rather envied betas for their more simple reproductive biology. This was not the time to be thinking of shoving Levi against the wall and screwing his brains out.

Hange came into the room at that moment, still holding her phone against her ear. In her other hand, she held her gun. She was smirking until she saw the mess, and she blinked, lowering her phone.

"Wow. I guess Pinchet's not an issue anymore."

On the floor, the guy that Levi had bitten groaned. Erwin glanced down at him, then at his mate. Even desperate and bloodthirsty, Levi had held back. "Pinchet is gone, yes. This may not eliminate the threat entirely, considering he likely has an underboss of his own that will take over. Hopefully what happened tonight might make Pinchet's replacement reconsider thoughts of crossing our syndicate, however."

Oluo came in holding up his cross, and he quickly brandished it against Airi when he saw her standing there. She lifted a brow, and Erwin checked a sigh. "Will you please put that thing away, Bozado? There's no need to point it at our allies."

Dita came into the room behind Oluo, and he cussed when his foot skidded on the blood pooling on the floor. His eyes widened when he looked at Pinchet's body. "Holy shit, boss..."

"Erwin," Levi gasped, grabbing at the blond's sleeve. It effectively distracted Erwin from trying to explain what had happened. Erwin put an arm around him, pulling him close.

"We're leaving," announced Erwin. He looked to the vampire mistress that had led her clan members into the property, and he gave her a respectful nod. "Thank you for your assistance in this matter. I hope you didn't lose any people, Miss."

She smirked. "No, fortunately...and we enjoyed the pleasure of ridding the world of at least a small number of the Carver clan. There's no love lost between their family and my own." She looked at Kenny. "This settles everything between our clans, as agreed."

"We already covered that." Kenny pulled out a cigarette from the pack in his jacket pocket and lit it up. "The money's already been wired to you, toots."

* * *

"Carver," Levi mumbled against Erwin's chest slumping against his alpha once they were in the car Erwin had rented for transport. "I want him."

By the expression Erwin gave him, the blond completely misunderstood Levi's meaning.

"Not to fuck," assured the dancer raggedly. "I want to sink my teeth into his throat and drink back everything he drained from me."

A bump in the road jostled him, and he nearly pitched over into Erwin's lap. He resisted the desperate urge to stick his nose in Erwin's crotch, humiliated by his own helpless needs. Suppressants wouldn't do him any good right now, even if he had access to the emergency injections he would usually take when a sudden heat came upon him. He was too deep into it now. It was too strong. The only thing that could compete with his lust for Erwin was Levi's fury with Carver.

Levi reached up to touch his neck where the collar had been before Hange sabotaged it and got it off of him. His fingers came into contact with the medallion still hanging around his throat like a pet's identification tag, and he yanked it until it snapped off. He started to lean over Erwin to roll the window down and chuck it out, but he changed his mind. When they got Carver, Levi planned to include this medallion in the vengeance he was going to take against the man.

* * *

-To be continued


	22. Chapter 22

Erwin took Levi straight home to Trost, along with Eren, Kenny and Armin. They took the first flight out they could get, while Erwin's syndicate members and allies stayed behind to try and locate Carver. Erwin would have liked to get the man himself and take out a little vengeance of his own, but Levi's condition was too advanced to postpone the return to Trost. He gave his omega a sedative from Hange to take the edge off and allow him some rest. He supposed they could have gotten a hotel room under the alias he went by when he didn't want people to know who he was, but doing that in Pinchet's territory after having just killed the boss and a lot of his people would be too risky. He would just have to trust Hange and the others to take care of getting Carver.

Mikasa was there waiting at the safe house when the arrived the next morning. She ran to Eren and Armin as soon as she looked out the window and saw them getting out of Erwin's car. They in turn ran to her, and the three of them embraced with happy little sounds, all of them talking to each other at once. Erwin helped his mate out of the back seat, and he spoke with Nile.

"You can go for now. I'll call you if I need you to bring the car to me, though we have vehicles here I could use if I need one."

"Yes sir." Nile obviously had some questions raging in his mind over where the boss had gone and what had happened, but his only instructions had been to drop him off at the airport with Kenny and Mike, and then pick him up again when Erwin told him to. Knowing better than to question where the others were, Nile got back into the car and started it up.

"Thank goodness you're all right," called Petra, who had come out of the big country house to approach her returned coworkers. She went to Eren first to look him over, and then she checked Levi and Armin. "What happened here?" Petra asked, gently touching the bandage on Levi's throat.

"Just a scratch," Levi said to her.

Erwin's mouth compressed. He knew the truth behind it, but they hadn't disclosed Levi's nature to the other staff or the lower ranking syndicate members. He would leave it up to Levi to decide when and if he ever told them. The thought of Carver forcing his teeth into Levi's throat and draining him was nearly as upsetting as the thought of the man having his way with him, and he hadn't had the chance to speak much with Levi about what happened during his ordeal.

"Is there a room for us?" Erwin questioned, directing the question at Petra.

She nodded, seeming distracted. "Yes sir...the big master bedroom at the top floor. Nobody's stayed in it and we changed the bedding out yesterday. May I just ask...where are Hange and the others?"

"Still taking care of some business," replied Erwin evasively. "You'll be informed when they're on their way back."

_~Hopefully all in one piece. It's fortunate that a couple of the Akimoto clan members agreed to remain behind to help them track Carver down, else they might not have a chance.~_

* * *

"Erwin," panted Levi, unable to stay on his feet for a moment longer. As soon as the blond shut and locked the bedroom door behind them, Levi put his arms around him for support. He didn't object when his alpha scooped him up bridal style and carried him straight to the bed.

His fangs were out, and Levi couldn't make the damned things retract for more than a second each time he tried. They kept extending again, so he gave up. He pulled at Erwin's clothes desperately, while the alpha undressed him in turn. The pendant hit the floor, flung away by Levi when he realized he was still holding onto it. Pale, sweaty skin glittered in the morning light as the omega's outfit was shed, his boots stripped off of him to land on the floor near the pendant. His hands roamed over Erwin's chest once Levi got the alpha's shirt open, and then he unbuckled Erwin's belt and gun holster.

Neither of them said anything about preventative measures. By the flush in Erwin's face and the way his breathing had become as labored as Levi's, the heat pheromones were driving him into a rut.

"Did he?" Erwin questioned raggedly, pausing to gaze down at Levi searchingly.

Knowing exactly what he meant, Levi shook his head. He lifted it off the pillow to kiss and lick at Erwin's collarbone and chest. "Didn't get the chance. He was going to try soon, I'm sure. The Akimoto's found me in the room he was keeping me in before he came back to check on me again. We fucked off after that and went straight to Pinchet's estate to find Eren."

A hint of relief crossed the blond's handsome features. "We'll talk more about it later, when you're ready."

Levi agreed completely. He'd barely managed to think clearly enough through his urges to answer Erwin's question. He wanted his alpha inside of him, wanted them to be joined not only to reassure him that his ordeal was over, but to reinforce the bond between them. Levi gasped when Erwin got his pants off and lowered his mouth to his right nipple to suck on it. The alpha's big hand curled around Levi's cock, stroking it as he licked and kissed at his chest. Writhing beneath him, Levi dug his fingers into the bigger man's shoulders encouragingly. The pants he'd been wearing were soaked with his slick, rumpled on the bed covers. Levi hardly noticed when his foot touched the mess. He moaned when his lover stopped stroking his cock to begin fingering him, and he spread his trembling thighs wide. He was already loosened up for him, his body responding to the powerful mating urges.

"Levi," groaned Erwin upon feeling how ready he was for him. "I don't want to rush it, but—"

"Rush it," growled Levi, looking down at him when the alpha lifted his head to gaze up from his chest. "I can take it. I need it."

Erwin visibly swallowed, and he withdrew his fingers from inside Levi to position himself. He urged Levi to wrap his thighs around his waist, and he closed in for a kiss on the mouth as he entered him. Levi's cry of relief and pleasure was muffled in the kiss. He tasted blood, and he realized one of his fangs must have cut Erwin's lip. The blond let loose a low, deep growl as Levi sucked and licked the salty liquid away, seeming to get off a little on the sting. He filled the omega balls-deep, and then he withdrew to do it again.

"I wondered," panted Erwin between open-mouthed kisses, "if I would ever feel this body against mine again. Wondered if it was going to be too late to find you."

"You found me," husked Levi in response. He gripped Erwin's hair to pull him down for another kiss, not only because he wanted to feel his lips and tongue against his again, but because he knew he was about to start getting pretty vocal. Despite Levi's efforts to keep them lip-locked, Erwin broke the kiss and hunched over him to give Levi's nipples more attention. Levi's back arched, pushing up into the wet pleasure of Erwin's suckling. He stopped caring if anyone else in the house heard his cries. He was in a full mating swoon now, and all the mattered was the feel of his lover inside of him, the feel of his mouth on him.

"Erwin," panted Levi, writhing beneath his thrusting mate. He couldn't seem to speak his name enough. "Erwin!"

The blond pushed in hard and deep, and he lifted up to stare at the omega, sapphire eyes blazing with lust and love. "Say it again, Levi."

Levi's breath caught as his alpha's cock swelled further, knotting inside of him. He felt Erwin's warm seed filling him, and he bit his lip. He hadn't been prepared for that, and he started coming immediately at the sensation. "Y-you fucker..."

Erwin laughed breathlessly, and he closed in for a kiss on Levi's slack, damp lips. "That wasn't...exactly what I was going for. I'll take it...though."

Still climaxing, Levi couldn't come up with a witty response to that. His fingernails scraped along Erwin's back, leaving long pink lines on the skin. He curled up a little, pressing his face into his mate's heated chest. His whole body trembled and he fought for breath as the pulses and waves of pleasure overcame him.

His orgasm finally eased up and stopped, and Levi fell back against the pillows, panting as he stared up at his mate. He reached up to touch Erwin's handsome, flushed features, and he bit his lip. "This could get us both in trouble. Fuck."

Erwin frowned a little. "Pardon? We're already mated."

"No, I mean...shit. I couldn't think...just wanted your cock. Erwin, I might not be sterile anymore."

"Yes, you told me that," soothed the alpha. "It's all right."

"How the fuck can you say that? I could get pregnant." Now that he had a moment to breathe and think a little, the full weight of it was hitting him. "We didn't even use any protection."

Erwin turned his head and kissed Levi's palm. "Levi, I've been considering things. I'm not as averted to the thought of becoming a parent as I once was. If it happens, we'll handle it. If not, I wouldn't be averted to actively trying, some day. I love you."

Levi's eyes widened briefly. This was the most open Erwin had been with him, and it was hard to think clearly with the man's big cock wedged inside of him. His heat was far from sated yet, after all.

"It's not so easy with me," he breathed, feeling his urges rising again. He wanted Erwin to move, but they were still knotted together. He squirmed restlessly. "I'll need a lot more blood than usual to carry to term."

Erwin lowered his mouth to the omega's, and he kissed him softly. "I understand, and if it happens, I swear to you that I will make sure you have as much as you need. I don't care if I have to send armed gunmen into a blood bank to rob it, Levi. My mate's health and survival is more precious to me than worries of drawing attention to my syndicate."

Levi stared up at him, trying to stave off his primal needs. "You're not kidding. You're serious."

Erwin nodded. "I am. We can try to stop if you want, but—"

"No," gasped Levi, jaw tightening. "No fucking way. Can't stop...don't stop, Erwin. Not now. It's...I can't..." His body was starting to feel tormented with frustration again, needing more.

Levi clutched at him again as Erwin's knot went down and he started to move, once more. Maybe it wouldn't happen. Maybe the procedure Carver had done on him against his will hadn't taken as the doctor had hoped. Reversing sterilization wasn't guaranteed to work for everyone. Maybe it would be all right. Besides, Erwin had just told him that he loved him, and Levi could sense through their link that he'd meant it. Hearing that from him was reassuring. He rolled his hips to meet Erwin's thrusts, losing the battle against his omega drive. Erwin groaned his name, just as vulnerable in the moment.

They left off on discussion over what may or may not happen, both of them consumed by their heightened needs.

* * *

They stayed locked in the bedroom all day long, until they were both finally exhausted enough to take a breather and get cleaned up. Erwin stripped the bedding again and replaced it, and he prudently found some towels to lay down on it to contain further mess when their mating urges spiked again. He left Levi sleeping in the bed after urging him to get some rest, and he went downstairs to get something to eat. He brought a meal up to share with his omega after speaking briefly to Mike over the phone, and he checked a sigh as he walked into the bedroom with it.

Levi opened his eyes and looked up at the blond as Erwin approached with the plate of food and a glass of ice water. He struggled into a sitting position when the alpha sat down on the bed next to him, and he gazed at Erwin searchingly.

"Have you heard anything about Carver? Did they get him?"

"My people didn't, unfortunately," answered Erwin, "but the authorities did. According to Mike, they raided the compound sooner than expected. It was going on while we and the Akimoto clan were busy at Pinchet's estate. Mike got word about it from Keith when he couldn't reach me to let me know. I had my phone turned off this whole time, or I'd have told you of the results sooner."

"I see." Levi's jaw clenched. "Bet he's going to find a way out of it, if they even bring him up on charges. They probably can't hold a vamp like him in a standard prison for long, anyway."

Erwin's expression hardened. "I'm going to see to it that he suffers repercussions by your hand, Levi. One way or another, you'll have your chance."

"How are you gonna ensure that?" Levi demanded. He took the fork offered to him, and he had a bite of the chicken breast on the plate even though he clearly had no appetite. He still looked too pale and drawn, and Erwin's gaze went to the bandage covering the bite marks Carver had delivered. "Like you said; someone's bound to take over Pinchet's syndicate when the dust clears. They're probably going to want Carver still working under them, and they'll pull strings to get him out of prison if his own lackeys don't break him out first."

"He's not ever going to touch you again," swore Erwin. "Remember Levi, I have connections of my own. It may be a race against time, but I'll do whatever I must to see to it that we get to Carver before anyone else does. I promised you, and I meant it."

Levi breathed a sigh, and he watched as Erwin took a bite from the plate. He didn't argue any further on the matter. His exhaustion was plain to see, even if Erwin didn't have the pair-bond to pick up on it with. They ate quietly together, both of them focusing on taking care of that need while they had a reprieve from their mating urges. By the time they finished the plate, both men were staring at each other with arousal again. Levi reached out to stroke Erwin's shoulder, swallowing with a different kind of hunger.

"Ready for another round?" husked the omega.

Erwin nodded. "I am, but there's something else you need as well."

Levi frowned a little, and then Erwin tilted his head to the side, baring his neck. The blond pulled his robe open, revealing more of his flesh to his mate. "Come here, Levi. Drink from me."

Levi's breath caught, and he licked his lips. "Have you had enough recovery time? I'm not sure how long they had me in that place. Don't want to push it and drink too soon, Erwin."

"You were gone for a week," explained Erwin. "I've had plenty of time to recover. Please, drink. You need to recover, yourself."

Levi nodded after another moment's hesitation. He untied his own bathrobe and slipped out of it, baring his pale, tight body to the blond. He'd gotten slightly leaner in his brief time as Carver's prisoner, and it was hard to say whether it was due to lack of nourishment or a lack of exercise. He was still beautiful all over, and Erwin put his hands on Levi's hips as the vampire straddled him. There erections pressed against each other intimately, their eyes locking and holding for a moment. Erwin could feel the dampness of Levi's slick against his thighs as the smaller man situated himself comfortably on top of him. The sweet scent of is made Erwin's nostril flare, and he wanted to turn Levi around in his arms, enter him again and pound him until he was screaming with pleasure. He resisted the temptation though, holding still for his mate as Levi closed in on him, lips parted and fangs peeking out.

Erwin closed his eyes as he felt the sharp little prick of the bite, and then Levi was sucking at the wound he'd made. Hungry little sounds hummed in Levi's throat as he drank, but he was gentle about it despite his apparent thirst. The dancer's hand slid down Erwin's chest, stroking over the pattern of blond hair on it before dipping lower. Levi gripped Erwin's cock and stroked it slowly, adding to the euphoric pleasure of being fed on.

When Erwin's breath started to catch, Levi stopped fondling him, gripped the base of his dick and lifted up. The next thing Erwin knew, his mate was sinking down on him, sheathing him in his snug warmth. Erwin groaned softly as Levi started to gyrate on top of him, riding him slowly as he continued to feed. It didn't go on for long—at least, not the feeding part. Levi stopped once he'd had enough, licking and kissing the spot before searching around for something to bind it with.

"The bedside table," breathed Erwin, dazed from the pleasure. "I brought dressing from the bathroom before getting our meal."

Levi found it, and he nursed the little bite marks before securing the bandage there. He cupped Erwin's face when he finished, his cheeks flushed with renewed color and arousal. "Lie back."

The alpha obliged, staring up at the vision of his companion as he reclined back on the bed and let him have his way. While Erwin loved having Levi pinned beneath him, the man had a knack for riding him until he buckled. He slid his hands over Levi's flexing torso as he watched him rock above him, admiring every inch of him. He'd have said it was cute how mussed Levi's black hair was right now, but that impression took a back shelf to the sensuality of Levi's motions and facial expressions. Erwin tweaked his mate's nipples gently, watching them harden under the touch. Levi tilted his head back, his brows furrowing with the sensation as Erwin followed it up by caressing the little nubs.

"Erwin," moaned Levi in a telling way.

Erwin looked down at the omega's cock, seeing it twitch and dribble prefluid. He almost reached down to pet it, but he decided to keep focusing on the nipples, instead. Levi started rolling his hips faster, his breath wheezing as the blond's attentions excited him further. Erwin smiled up at him, more than pleased with his responses. His breath started to huff as fast as Levi's as the pace quickened further. He sucked in some steadying breaths, trying to hold back his impending orgasm for longer.

"Hah...fuck...!"

Levi shuddered and spilled himself, his spunk peppering Erwin's torso, gasping as he rode it out. He looked down at Erwin with widened pupils, his pale gaze blissful on him. Erwin kept thrusting beneath him, giving himself permission to finish now that he'd brought Levi to completion. It only took a few pumps, and then the alpha's back was arching, his hips bucking between Levi's thighs. He heard his mate whimper as he knotted inside of him, and Erwin sat up to embrace him.

Forehead to forehead, the couple sat entwined together. When Levi stopped clenching around him and his trembling eased up, Erwin pulled back a little to look at him. Levi opened his eyes to look back at him, and they just remained like that as they recovered, memorizing one another's sweaty features. The cycle was starting to wind down now, but they still had hours to go before it was completely sated.

* * *

The others didn't return until the next morning. Hange was first through the door, and though her feet were dragging with exhaustion, she smiled happily at Petra the moment she saw her come into the foyer. She embraced the small ginger as Petra came to her, holding her tight for a while as her companions came in behind her.

"Is it over?" Petra whispered in the alpha woman's ear, just as their embrace loosened.

"The worst of it, yes."

Hange glanced at Mike, who was setting a bag down which clinked as it touched down on the floor. Petra shot a wary look at it, but she didn't say anything about the probable contents within. By now, all of the dancers and staff knew they hadn't returned from a picnic somewhere.

"We've got to keep an ear to the ground," Mike said.

"Yes, we do," agreed Hange with a sigh. "I'll keep networking. Hopefully this can be settled without any more fighting, and everyone can get on with their lives again."

"We'll see," grunted Mike. He looked at Petra, who was apparently the only person up and about this early. "Where's the boss?"

"Still sleeping upstairs, I think," answered Petra. "He and Levi had a...very late night."

"Pfft, I'll bet they did," chuckled Hange. "Mike, we should probably all get some rest before we have a meeting about all this. I don't know about you, but my eyes are crossing."

"Tell me about it," grumbled Oluo. He trudged in with another bag, and Dita came behind him with Nanaba. "Is there somewhere to lay down in this place? I'm too tired to drive all the way home to get some sleep."

"There are plenty of couches," explained Nanaba. "All of the bedrooms are taken right now, though."

"Of course they are," groused Oluo. "Well, point me to the nearest couch, then."

Petra wrinkled her nose a bit as Oluo came closer to her, still smelling of the garlic he'd worn the day before.

"For God's sake," sighed Nanaba, also catching a whiff. "Take a shower, Oluo. You still reek of stale garlic."

He made a rude, if not imaginative gesture at her, but he headed for the nearest bathroom on the first floor regardless. The others departed the foyer to find their own spots to sleep on, leaving Hange and Petra alone together by the front door.

"You can sleep in my room," offered Petra, looking up at the taller woman with concern. "I could draw a bath for you, and maybe lie down with you for a while."

"Hmm. I think I could go for that idea," answered Hange with a smirk. She brushed a thumb fondly over Petra's chin. Hange was so exhausted, she thought she could actually share a bed with Petra without trying to fuck her. "I think I can trust myself enough to take that offer."

Petra sighed, but she smiled at her with a sort of patient amusement. "You're really determined to make me beg you for it, aren't you Hange?"

"Or I'm determined to drive myself even crazier than I already am," quipped Hange with a wink. "Now, how about that bath?"

* * *

Sandwiched between Armin and Mikasa, Eren lay on the queen-sized bed of the room they'd taken for the night, and he looked back and forth between his two companions. He'd come very close to suffering a fate that he thought he'd never have to worry about again, but he'd made it through the ordeal. He was safe now, and he was with two people he adored equally. He kept reminding him of that, but several times in the night, he'd woken up with a cry on his lips, barely stifling it so that he wouldn't wake his companions.

The truth was, if he allowed himself to admit it, that he didn't feel as safe as he should. It was so fresh, and though he'd escaped the experience without being raped, he could still feel Dr. Carver's hands on him, examining him like livestock. Carver was still out there somewhere. Eren probably wouldn't feel completely safe until he knew the man and his cohorts had no chance of coming after him or his loved ones, ever again.

Eren swallowed as Armin nuzzled his temple, one arm thrown over Eren's torso. On the other side, Mikasa had a leg wedged between the dancer's and an arm over him as well. Armin's hand slid lower, and Eren turned his head to look at him as the blond caressed his skin, just along the pelvic lines. Armin's lips were very close, and Eren kissed them softly. Roused by the action, Armin's expressive, sapphire eyes fluttered open. He stared at Eren, and then he seemed to realize where his hand was. Armin froze, his mouth parting to speak what Eren was sure would be an apology, but Eren shook his head, gave him a little smile and laid his hand over Armin's.

"Don't," whispered Eren. "It's okay." He refused to allow what some demented, creepy doctor did ruin things, and he tried not to imagine what Levi might have endured at Carver's hands.

Armin glanced down as Eren guided his hand lower. The dancer took it slow and gentle, giving the blond the chance to pull away if he wanted to. Armin didn't. He let Eren coax his hand to his groin, and he met the omega's eyes again as he palmed the stirring length of Eren's package through the pajama bottoms the omega wore.

"Are you sure?" whispered Armin at last, concern blending with desire in his expression.

"If you're okay with it, so am I." Eren kissed him softly again, letting him explore as he wished but paying close attention to Armin's reactions. "We can take it slow. I just don't want you to be afraid of touching me if you want to, and I want to know you're okay with me doing the same."

It was hard to explain without going into what they'd been through, but Armin seemed to catch on. He kept kneading and palming between Eren's legs, and he started planting soft, sweet kisses on his face and lips. Eren kissed him back, and he rubbed Armin's shoulder and arm. He stroked the blond's hip, encouraging him without letting his hand wander too much.

There was motion on Eren's other side, and he saw Mikasa prop herself out the corner of his eye. He paused in kissing Armin to look up at her as she leaned over him, and when he saw no sign of jealousy or consternation in her eyes, he reached up with his free hand to caress her lovely face. She leaned over to kiss him, and then to Eren's surprise, she did the same to Armin. Armin went still for a minute, eyes going briefly wide, and then he returned her kiss.

That's all the trio did for several minutes; touch, kiss and whisper affection for each other. Eren had expected there to be some hesitation and doubt when and if his two companions decided to test the waters with each other. It seemed that something had changed between the two of them now, and being reunited made them see each other in a different light. Maybe they'd both thought of kissing each other like this before, but never acted on it because they'd become such good friends. Whatever the reason, Eren was glad for it, and he traded kisses with the both of them in turn, caressing them when they kissed each other between kisses with him.

It was slow, gentle and exploratory, and when they finally stopped making out with each other, the three of them stared at one another with quickened breath and wondering expressions for a while.

"Can this really work between the three of us?" Armin finally whispered hopefully.

"There's only one way to find out, isn't there?" reasoned Mikasa just as softly. "I'm willing to try, and I won't retract agreeing to share, even if you and I find we don't click as lovers, Armin. Eren, is this okay with you?"

"Oh yeah," assured Eren enthusiastically. He smiled at them both, and he reached up with both arms to hug the two of them around their necks, drawing them down to his chest. He kissed the top of their heads in turn. "I'm _very_ okay with it."

Armin smiled against Eren's chest, and he looked at Mikasa, whose face was so close to his own. "There's still the matter of how I reacted when I found out about you. I've wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I wish I'd have handled it better once I got over the shock."

"I wish you hadn't found out that way," she offered. "I feel like I should have trusted you enough to tell you sooner. That wasn't the way I wanted either of you to find out. I also...Eren, I'm still so sorry about endangering you like that. I let it go for too long, let it get out of control."

"It's over with now," reasoned Eren. "Nobody meant to hurt anyone, and I'm just glad we're all here together now."

"So am I," agreed Mikasa. She rested her forehead on Eren's shoulder with a sigh. "I thought I might never see either of you again. Levi kept it together when I was falling apart. If I'd acted soon enough, maybe they would have never gotten as far as they did with you."

"Hey." Eren cupped her chin, urging her to look into his eyes. "None of this was your fault. I heard about what happened with you and Levi at that plant. You both tried."

Armin nodded. "He's right. We can talk more about all of this when we've had time to wind down."

Mikasa offered them both a tiny smile. "Agreed. We should change, get refreshed and have breakfast."

Eren and Armin looked at one another, almost at the same time. "Are you hungry?" They said in unison, addressing Mikasa.

She seemed to realize their meaning, and she nibbled her lower lip. "I've been keeping on top of that. I know it's unpleasant to hear, but my boss provided me with a blood bank supply to ensure I stay at top strength. In between, I get what I need from butcher shops. I was talking about regular food, when I mentioned breakfast."

"Oh." Eren guessed she didn't feel comfortable talking about her specific vampire needs right now, especially after talking about how she'd accidentally drained Eren too much and scared the shit out of Armin. "We can eat. Just...Mika, I know how it can get, okay? I've worked with and known about Levi for a while, and I don't want you to be afraid to ask if you need something uh...fresh from me now and then."

"The same goes for me," said Armin softly.

Mikasa looked at the blond with concern. "Armin, you don't need to do that. It means enough that you're willing to forgive me for frightening you, and take this step with us. I don't want you to feel pressured. I can take care of myself and I swear to you both, I will _never_ let the thirst get out of control like it did that night again."

"I believe you," promised Armin. He lowered his gaze. "But still, there's less chance of it getting out of control if you have access to fresh donations regularly, don't you agree?"

Mikasa squeezed Armin's hand. "I appreciate you offering, especially after what happened. Maybe we can discuss the idea again in the future. Give yourself more time to think about it, Armin. I need more time too, because I never want to hurt either of you."

"We'll take baby steps," suggested Eren. "We can practice. You know, when you're not that thirsty but could use just a little? We'll talk about it."

"We can do that," Mikasa agreed, relaxing. "Later, though. This talk of breakfast has me craving eggs and toast."

"I could really go for some fruit parfait, if possible," said Armin with a smile.

"Bacon," stated Eren. "I'm all about the bacon. Let's see what we can scrounge up."

* * *

By sheer, lucky coincidence, Mina, Sasha and Connie just happened to be in the middle of cooking breakfast when Eren and the others came down to the kitchen. The smell of hash browns, bacon, eggs and sausage hung in the air. Sasha gave a start as Mikasa came up behind her to sniff with appreciation at the aroma of the eggs.

"You scared the shit out of...oh, hi Mikasa." The waitress seemed a bit intimidated by her, and she'd obviously expected it to be someone else coming up behind her.

"Got the toast," Connie exclaimed, plating up the slices he'd been cooking in the toaster oven. "Damn, I'm hungry. I totally forgot to eat dinner last night."

"Guys, you're welcome to have breakfast with us," Mina offered, combing her long, dark bangs back. Dressed in a pair of pajamas depicting fluffy kittens and puppies on them, she certainly didn't have the look of someone that worked in a strip club.

"Wow, it's like you read our minds," said Eren with a grin. "Uh, is there juice or milk? Maybe some yogurt and fruit for Armin?"

"We have yogurt!" Sasha transferred the pan she was cooking the eggs in to a cool burner, and she rushed to the fridge before anyone else could even take a step toward it.

"Armin, catch! It's got fruit in the bottom!"

Armin fumbled with the cup of yogurt Sasha tossed at him, nearly getting hit in the face with it. "Um, thanks!"

"You're all energetic," remarked Mikasa, raising a brow. She tilted her head. "Have any of you three even slept?"

"A little." Mina shrugged, and she transferred the bacon to a plate covered with a paper towel to absorb the grease. "Not much, myself. Too much excitement this morning, and Sasha was up too, so I asked her if she'd help me make a good breakfast. Then Connie woke up and started helping."

"Yeah, I was on guard duty here last night." Connie set the large plate of toast on the counter, and then he grabbed a slice and started munching it. "Woke up when I heard our associates come in this morning, and when I smelled food cooking, I came and checked it out."

Mikasa did a mental head-count of everyone currently residing in the safe house. Aside from the dancers, most of the staff had opted to stay at their own places or with family until the club could re-open. Some of them might not be returning to the Omega Experience, depending on how long it stayed closed. They'd gotten an advance on their salaries as a bonus incentive to stay while the syndicate worked out the kinks, but that was only good for two week's pay. Soon, many of them might start seeking other employment, and who could blame them? Pinchet had been after the dancers, not the rest of them. They had to make a living, and if they thought it was too dangerous to return to working at the club, that was understandable. Sasha was the only one of the wait staff that was currently living in the manor, and that was because she didn't like her roommates at her apartment. Jean was also living at the safe house right now, but only because he was dating Jenni, one of the dancers.

"Are you trying to cook for everyone here?" asked Mikasa. While it was a lot of food, they presently had a lot more mouths to feed than usual.

"Just anyone awake this early that wants some," answered Sasha with a shrug. "Most of them are probably going to be asleep for a while."

Mikasa nodded, finding it sound logic. Everyone residing on the property generally fended for themselves with food preparation, though once in a while, the ones that could cook decently would get together to make up a big meal for the whole household. Since they couldn't leave the property until the threat was officially gone, the dancers wrote up grocery lists of things they wanted or needed, and the syndicate members had been taking care of the shopping.

"I don't know how you all aren't going stir crazy by now," sighed Eren. He searched the cupboards for drinking containers, unfamiliar with the layout of the place as of yet. "You can't even go to some little country market close by?"

"Too risky," explained Mikasa. "It's for their own protection, Eren. It's only for a little while longer."

Eren found what he was after, and he went to start setting glasses on the dining room table. "Well, I hope this place at least gets decent internet," he called as he exited the kitchen.

Mikasa and Armin both smiled after the green-eyed dancer, and their expressions weren't lost on Sasha. "You all look so happy," she sighed. "I mean, everyone's glad Levi, Eren and Armin are back safely, but _you_ three are practically glowing."

Armin lowered his gaze to the yogurt cup in his hand, and he pulled off the seal while Mikasa fetched a spoon for him. "It was an awful ordeal, but it's over now. At least, I _hope_ it is. I just want to focus on trying to get our lives back in order."

Mikasa nodded in agreement.

* * *

None of them had thought about how the abduction might cause upset elsewhere, at least for Armin. Levi and Eren's disappearance had been covered by a fabricated vacation trip, when any of their clients contacted Kenny to ask about them. The club was still "under maintenance renovation", which Erwin had taken care to make good on by having contractors come in to replace some lights and the damaged office door. Armin Arlert, however, had friends and coworkers wondering about him, as well as family. Nobody had contacted the school board with an excuse, because everything had been so frantic after the kidnapping.

This caused an issue that wasn't apparent until after breakfast, when they went into an unoccupied sitting room to watch television and digest their food. Connie turned on the television and started surfing for something to watch besides soaps and mid-morning talk shows, and Eren told him to stop when he saw a flash of Armin's face on a news broadcast.

"Turn it up," demanded Eren, sitting forward on the couch he was sharing with Mikasa. His eyes were wide, and everyone went quiet as Connie increased the volume.

 _"The local school teacher went missing early last week,"_ stated the news broadcaster in the background. _"Police, friends, family and coworkers are asking anyone who's seen him or has any information to report it. Mr. Arlert teaches history at Walsh Middle School. Friends and associates say he sometimes tutors reading and writing, and police suspect he may have been on his way to a tutoring appointment when he vanished, according to statements given by the last people he spoke with."_

Armin had come in with a cup of coffee, and he froze and stared at the screen as an elderly man came on in place of his photo. "Grandpa," he whispered.

Eren glanced at the blond, and then back at the screen as Armin's grandfather issued a plea to the public for help finding the teacher. He followed up with a message for his grandson.

_"Armin, wherever you are, we all miss you and love you. Please come back home to us alive."_

The news broadcast ended that story and moved on to another one about a local bank robbery in downtown Trost. Connie grimaced and muted the television as Armin started to babble.

"Oh my God! Why didn't I...I should have contacted my family at least, as soon as I could! How could I be so careless?"

"Armin, sit down," urged Mikasa, getting up to put an arm around him. She guided him to the couch to sit beside Eren, and she sat down on his other side. "You've barely had the chance to think since you got back, and you've been through a lot."

Armin looked at her, faintly accusing. "But...why didn't _you_ try to contact them after I got kidnapped? You have Grandpa's number!"

She took a deep breath, and Eren rubbed Armin's shoulder soothingly as she answered. "Because I was focused on doing what I could to protect these people in this house, find you and get you and Eren back home alive. I'd thought of trying to contact your grandfather, but what would I have said? I couldn't just tell him you went on a vacation out of the blue. Your situation was different from Eren's and Levi's. Everyone close to them already knew what was really going on, and others wouldn't question why they would take a vacation while the club was being worked on."

Armin heaved a shuddering breath. "He could have a heart attack, worrying about me. I need to call him right now."

* * *

Erwin had just come down after waking up and having a shower, leaving his mate sleeping in their bed. His thoughts were on Levi and how uncommonly deeply the man was sleeping, so the conversation he heard while passing by the sitting room didn't immediately register with him. He stopped at the archway, listened to the tail end of it, and stepped into the room. Dressed for the day, freshly shaved and with his blond hair neatly groomed, his sudden appearance made the conversation drag to a halt.

"Son, I wouldn't recommend you do that yet," advised Erwin calmly.

Armin frowned at the mafia boss. "Why, sir? My grandpa at least needs to know I'm safe. He's all the family I have left."

Erwin sighed, and he approached the couch that Armin was seated on between his two friends, pulled up an ottoman and sat down before him. "I can understand your feelings, Armin, but consider this: you need an explanation for your disappearance before you contact anyone. It also isn't a good idea for you to return straight home and go right back to work. Now, I've spoken briefly to my law enforcement associates this morning, and the raid on that compound you were initially held in was a success. Oswald Pinchet's estate was also raided, and they've rescued the majority of the people that were being held there and at the compound as slaves."

Armin's tension faded a little. "That's good news. Did they find Dr. Carver, too?"

"Yes, and he's currently being detained. However, many of the people involved in Pinchet's syndicate are still out there. Several got away in fact, and there are others that weren't present at either location. They're most likely going to lay low for a while, but they'll recover, even if their syndicate is now significantly weaker. In addition, there are other compounds besides the one you were in, and the underground flesh trade business is quite lucrative. These two triumphs aren't going to put a stop to the entire thing. You understand that, don't you?"

"You're saying this could happen again?" Armin questioned unhappily.

"I'm saying that the immediate danger to you is gone, but you should keep it in mind that the slavery cartel and its connection to the mafia is, shall we say, widely known about. Commonly, people treat it as gossip. Syndicates tend to keep it out of the media as much as possible. It wouldn't be wise to mention mafia involvement in what happened to you, when you do speak with others about it. Allow people to assume if you must, but don't "

Being the intelligent and worldly person that he was, Armin seemed to catch the hint. "Then I suppose I need to come up with something. I just have no idea what I can say to explain my disappearance. I'm not fond of the thought of lying to my grandfather, sir."

"Perhaps there's a way around that," suggested Erwin. He glanced at the television. "What did the news have to say about you? I overheard only the very end of it."

Armin considered it. "The police apparently suspect I vanished while on my way to tutor someone." He looked sidelong at Eren, and he managed a tiny smile. "Which is more or less true. Maybe we could work with that."

Erwin nodded. "I think that we can. You went to tutor a new pupil, but you didn't know that he was mixed up with bad people. They showed up while you were there. They took you both because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and you were held hostage along with the person you meant to tutor."

"But, I don't want to tell them Eren was 'mixed up with some bad people'," objected Armin. He bit his lip. "I could make up a name, if I have to. None of them need to know Eren was caught up in any of this. I don't want them asking him invasive questions, if I ever get the chance to introduce him to anyone."

"Fair enough," conceded Erwin. "Give me time to network, Armin. I have a plan that will explain your disappearance without drawing attention to my particular syndicate or involving Eren. As soon as I have some coffee, I'll get on the phone. We'll discuss it further once I've arranged everything."

Armin looked a little wary, but he obviously wasn't about to argue with someone like Erwin about it. He nodded. "Yes sir."

* * *

-To be continued


	23. Chapter 23

It was later in the morning when Levi finally stirred. He groaned at the stab of light that slanted through the curtains to assault his eyes, and he rolled over to cover his head with the throw blanked Erwin had put on him. Peeking out at the clock near the bedside table, he realized it was getting close to noon.

"Shit, what day is it?" mumbled Levi.

He still felt a little residual tingle from his heat, but the nagging urge had finally faded after his last round of fucking with his mate. With the return of clarity came the reminder that he'd taken no form of contraceptive nor used any protection, and Levi grimaced. The one thing he took comfort in was the memory of Erwin's words to him the night before. Erwin loved him. He even kind of wanted to have kids with him some day, though Levi didn't see that being a realistic possibility if he got through this without becoming pregnant. It wasn't just the Ackerman trouble gestating, and the thought of birthing pain itself didn't frighten him. He wasn't a kid person. He wasn't a domestic person, either. Raising a brat would be a lot of work; more so for one that came from Levi, due to the special nutritional requirements it would have in order to survive and grow up.

He decided not to lay there wasting his time dwelling on it. He'd figure it out later. He could be worrying over nothing. Maybe he was still sterile and he wouldn't even have to make arrangements to get the procedure done again. Right now, he needed to get cleaned up, have something to eat and figure out what fucking day it was. There was also Carver to consider. Levi wanted the threat of him gone, one way or the other.

He got out of bed, went into the adjoining bathroom and took a hot shower. Erwin had evidently picked up the clothes he'd come there in, some time while Levi was asleep. That sat just fine with the dancer. He didn't want to wear anything given to him by Carver, and Erwin could have burned that outfit for all he cared. Fortunately, Levi found a fresh set of clothes laid out on the armchair in the corner of the room, along with some sneakers. He examined light, long-sleeved gray sweater and the blue jeans before putting them on. They fit. The shoes were his size as well, and there was a pair of new socks folded into them.

After dressing and styling his hair with the comb and brush left for him in the bathroom, Levi took the soiled towels off of the bed, tossed them in the hamper, and tidied up the room. He left the bedroom and looked up and down the hallway, realizing he really hadn't left that bedroom since he'd arrived. Getting his bearings, he went to the first flight of stairs, and he paused as he started walking past the door to the left of it.

"Hange! Oh...oh... _oh_!"

Recognizing Petra's moaning voice, realizing what was causing the bumping sound he was hearing accompanying her cries, Levi raised a brow. It seemed Hange finally acted on her desire for Petra, and the little ginger was obviously very agreeable to it. Levi shrugged, smirking slightly. His smirk faded as he recalled that Hange had been on one of the teams that had tried to collect Carver. That was right; the authorities had the slimy bastard.

Suppressing a sigh, Levi went down the stairs. He passed two of Erwin's men on the way, and he saw Hitch as he was going into the kitchen. The blonde smiled at him, started to say something, and then got uncommonly awkward and excused herself.

_~Guess I'd better get used to that. They probably all think I spent my time getting dicked up the ass by Carver while I was missing.~_

Levi wasn't sure how much had been disclosed to those not immediately involved in the rescue plans, but all of the dancers knew the gist of what happened, hence why they were currently living here in this place. Levi caught sight of Kenny lying sprawled on a loveseat in one of the sitting rooms as he passed it, wearing his hat over his face to cover his eyes. He'd probably be crashed until sunset, if Levi knew his uncle. At least the idiot finally stepped up and did some good, even though his plan had put Levi in a potentially delicate situation.

Levi got into the kitchen, found it blessedly empty of people, and he started rummaging through the big refrigerator for something to eat. He paused when he saw an opaque plastic milk bottle with his name written on it, in Erwin's handwriting.

"'Levi's Protein Drink," he read aloud, "'Nobody else touch'." Frowning a little, he reached in to get it, pulled the cap off and had a sniff.

Blood. Erwin had left him blood. It smelled pretty fresh, and it was human blood. Did the determined idiot cut himself and drain it into there, or had brought it from a blood bank? Levi took a small, experimental sip, grimaced at the flavor and shrugged. It wasn't Erwin's blood, but it would do, if he started feeling the thirst. He thought he should be all right for a few days, since he'd just fed on Erwin last night.

Eren walked into the kitchen just as Levi put the bottle back away. "Oh hey, you're up! How are you feeling, Levi?"

Levi turned to face the taller omega. Actually, he was starting to feel hot again. He ignored it. "Better. What the hell day is it now?"

"Thursday," replied Eren. "Yeah, I was thrown off too. It's the eleventh of January."

"I see." Levi checked inside the fridge again, and he found a bowl of fruit. He grabbed a banana and started to peel it. "Don't suppose you know where Erwin is, do you?"

Eren shook his head. "He left for a while, but he didn't say where he was going to any of us. He's got some arrangements to make, and that's all I know. He said to tell you he should be back this afternoon, if you woke up before he returns."

"Hmm." Levi examined the sizeable piece of fruit in his hand, considering the information. He must have been more dead to the world than he'd thought. "So tell me what's been going on today. Anything interesting?"

"If you mean have we heard anything more about Carver, no." Eren sighed, and his bright gaze was sympathetic on Levi. "I know that's not what you want to hear."

"Nothing to be done for it. How's everyone else?"

Eren told him about how the others had been doing, and they talked about little things like how cold it was supposed to get that night, what they might like to have for dinner and what they could do for a little exercise and practice around the property. Levi didn't want anyone to get rusty with their dancing, and he had a powerful need for a workout, himself.

As the conversation went on, Levi started feeling more and more unsettled. He forgot he was even hungry. The frustration was coming back. He was starting to produce slick again, and he was getting flushed. He'd never had a heat spring back on him like this before, after so thoroughly satisfying it. Usually after marathon fucking like he and Erwin had been doing, he was just worn out for a couple of days but satisfied. He started thinking of Erwin and losing his train of thought, and he found himself staring at the banana in his hand. Erwin would make this banana jealous with his size and girth. It had nothing on him.

"Uh...Levi?" Eren said uncertainly. "If you're that hungry, I could um...make you a sandwich or...something."

Levi realized with sudden horror that he'd started deep-throating the banana while fantasizing about Erwin's cock.

"Wow," called out Hange's voice. She'd just come into the kitchen, wearing a lopsided button-up shirt she'd obviously just thrown on, and a pair of brown sweat pants. Her brown-red hair was even messier than usual, her ponytail crooked and half-undone. "Anybody have a cigarette..."

She trailed off, eyes widening at the sight of Levi standing there frozen, with all but the very bottom tip of the banana in his mouth and down his throat. "Practicing for a new act, Levi, or are you trying to make everyone in this place equipped with a phallic protrusion on their genitals envy Erwin?"

Levi snapped himself out of it, and he worked his throat to release the banana from his oral hold on it. He could find no words for what he'd just done in front of them. His breath was coming faster, and it was half from panic and half from the steadily climbing sexual urgency he felt.

Hange sobered, while Eren just looked on with confusion. The former approached Levi, dipped her head a bit and took a deep breath through her nose.

"Levi, my dear, are you still in heat?"

Levi set the banana he'd been molesting on the counter, feeling the threat of his fangs trying to elongate. He shook his head, speaking in a mumble. "Can't be heat. We...Erwin and I took care of that. It was almost...almost gone when I got up a little while ago."

Hange hesitated, and she sniffed in his direction again. "Then that had to be one powerful heat, to linger this strongly."

"I just took a shower before I came down," objected Levi. His words came out distorted. His fangs were out. He covered his mouth and closed his eyes, sure that the latter were starting to glow.

"Levi, I know," whispered Hange, noticing his efforts to hide his teeth. "You don't have to worry about hiding your mouth or eyes from me."

Of course. Hange and the other captains in Erwin's syndicate had been there that night, fighting alongside the Akimoto clan. Erwin had even told Levi that he'd talked to them about it and explained everything. It was just so difficult to think, especially because he was bewildered, already internalizing a lot of rage over what had happened and honestly, a little scared over the added threat of pregnancy.

Hange reached out to gently feel Levi's flushed face and heated forehead. She frowned, and she spoke again. "Levi, that scent is too strong to just be a lingering trace of a heat you've already sated." She pulled away, circled around him, and sighed. "And you're backside is wet. Either you're having a second heat directly after the previous one, or it's still the same cycle spiking again."

"Never happens," gasped Levi, grabbing onto the edge of the counter to stay upright. "This has...never happened before. It always...goes away after a couple of days. Never comes right back like this."

"Sometimes enough stress can cause this," reasoned Hange, "and as solid as you are, Levi, you've had more than your share of that."

"Suppressants," gasped Levi. Eren came over to him and put an arm around him supportively. "Emergency suppressants. You've gotta have some, four-eyes."

"I'll administer some," she promised, keeping a step or two between them. Hange plugged her nose to try and block the omega scent coming from Levi. "Let's just get you back to your room, for now. Eren, help him. I'll be right behind you."

* * *

Hange sighed, having left Erwin's master bedroom with Eren inside to watch over Levi. The vampire omega was getting worse at an alarming rate. She had medical equipment available, but it was comprised mostly of emergency surgical tools, medication and wound treatment supplies. She'd given Levi a shot of powerful emergency suppressants, but they'd only helped level the spike for a little while. She needed lab equipment, she needed to know exactly what Carver had done to Levi besides try to reverse his sterilization procedure, and above all, she needed to reach Erwin.

"How is he?" murmured Mike, waiting outside the door.

Hange closed the door tightly behind her. "Bad, and getting worse. Any luck getting hold of Erwin?"

Mike shook his head. He sniffed toward the door Hange had just come out of, and she saw his eyes flicker beneath his pale bangs. She prudently inserted herself between the blond alpha and the bedroom door, very much aware of how strong Levi's omega scent was and how it inspired urges in alphas.

"Okay, no alphas beyond this point except for me and Erwin," she informed Mike, her mind racing. "For that matter, no betas, either, except for my associate who I'm about to call for assistance. Only me, Erwin, Moblit and a couple of omegas of my choosing are permitted into that room until Levi's condition improves."

Mike frowned at her. "Why you? Just 'cause you like girls? And why not betas?"

"Because I have alpha suppressants I can take," explained Hange.

Mike gave her a dubious look. "Those things are practically still experimental."

"Agreed, but I've tested them on myself before, and while they don't block omega pheromones completely in this stage, I've found they do at least mute them a little; hence the term 'suppressant', Mike. You do know that with the exception of the super-dose omega suppressants, theirs don't completely halt fertility cycles."

"Of course I know that," he muttered. "That's not my point. You think I can't control myself if I'm in the same room as him right now?"

Hange gave him a hard stare. "You remember what happened two years ago after you and Erwin recruited me, don't you?"

Mike looked away, and a hint of a flush crept up his neck. He didn't answer.

Hange sighed. She hated to bring that memory up, but it was important to emphasize the danger that Levi's condition posed not only to himself, but to certain others. To his credit, Mike had taken complete responsibility for his behavior, and since that night, he never even considered dating, kept his distance from intimate relations with omegas and only relieved his urges with betas casually. Hange was still convinced he'd been in love with the woman from that fateful night, and that his passion for her had been a significant catalyst in him losing control.

"Mike, it wasn't your fault. Who knows, you may have stopped yourself before I intervened, but imagine your control slipping like that with the boss's mate. I know you would probably beg Erwin to shoot you himself, if it did."

Mike met her eyes flatly. "Maybe I shouldn't even come up to this floor anymore, then."

Hange reached out to squeeze his shoulder consolingly. "If you think that would be best. I'm just making an executive call, and Levi is now my client."

Mike nodded. "Erwin was right to give you seniority in this kind of situation. I think I'm gonna go downstairs...try to contact him again."

"All right. Just remember, the best way you can help with this is to keep doing exactly what you've been doing. Erwin needs you, and so do we. Have a drink or something. Wind down."

"Hmph. Thanks."

Mike walked away, and Hange watched after him, wondering if she'd made a mistake in mentioning the past. Sometimes it was necessary to remind other alphas _and_ herself that when dealing with omega pheromones, they were in fact vulnerable. Levi's hormonal scent was so strong that Hange even considered blocking off the entire third floor to any alphas, but that might be overkill.

No sooner did she think she might be over-reacting then Eren came barging out of the bedroom, knocking into her with a curse. Hange whirled to face him with wide eyes, and she went still at the sight of him clutching his right forearm with his left hand. Blood welled between his fingers, and he had a pale and shocked look to him.

"He bit me," gasped the young man. "He lunged at me while I was wiping his face off with the washcloth! I think...I think he's delusional, Miss Hange. He called me 'Carver' right before he sunk his teeth in."

Alarmed yet practical, Hange got between Eren and the open doorway. "Stay behind me," she ordered, and she looked into the room. Levi was sprawled on the bed, shirtless now because they'd removed his sweater, shoes and socks in an effort to cool him off. He appeared to be unconscious.

"He passed out right after it happened," Eren explained tightly. "He didn't mean to do it, I'm sure. He's just hurting and feverish, and—"

"Shh, Eren, it's okay," Hange assured him, keeping her eyes on Levi's still form. She might have to go back on her decision to limit alpha presence around Levi, at least for now. Thinking quickly, she considered the fact that more often than not, direct blood relatives weren't effected by an omega's heat.

"Nobody is blaming him, so don't worry. We all just want to help him. Go downstairs and have someone give you first aid. Send Kenny up; I don't care if you have to dump a bucket of cold water on him to wake him up. We've got to restrain Levi while he's out. Tell him to bring something to help with that."

Eren's wide green eyes flicked to his ailing mentor in the room behind Hange. "You want to tie him up when he's having delusions about Carver? I don't think that's a great idea. Don't you think that could just trigger him more?"

Hange winced. "I've taken that into consideration, believe me. But Eren, if we don't do something to bring him back under control, he's going to seriously hurt himself, or someone else. He's already bitten you, and from what I've seen, he thinks of you as a little brother. I'm going to sedate him, and I'm going to get some help here with proper equipment so I can start running some tests. Trust me, this is the only way until we can contact Erwin and get him back here."

Eren bit his lip, looking agonized. "Couldn't one of you alphas just...I don't know, scent-mark him or something? That can calm a heat down sometimes, at least a little bit."

Hange's eyes went wide and blank. "Erwin would flat-out kill any one of us that tried that with his omega...but you've given me an idea, Eren. Go on, now. Get that bite taken care of, and get Kenny up here."

Giving her a puzzled look, Eren made his exit to do as she said.

* * *

He was exhausted and sore. With his left eye swelling shut, Erwin got out of his car with his companion, and he approached the manor. It was later than he'd intended to return. He had hoped to be back by two o'clock at the latest, but his plans went awry and it was approaching six in the evening. Dita was sitting out front on the stone bench, sharpening a knife. He glanced up from his task when he saw the mafia boss approaching, and he jumped to his feet with a stunned look on his face.

"Boss, what the hell happened to you?"

"It's a long story, Ness," sighed Erwin, his whole body aching. "To summarize: I got into a scrap. Thankfully I had Ymir with me." He nodded at the equally bruised up alpha female beside him. Ymir had a busted lip and a nasty bruise darkening the left side of her jaw, but she was grinning in a lopsided manner, evidently pleased with the outcome of their ordeal.

"We gave as good as we got," informed Ymir when Dita looked her way.

Ness pulled a cigarette from the pack in his shirt pocket. The man rarely smoked, but every once in a while, he lit up when under stress. "I'd love to hear the details, but Hange's been chewing at the bit. You'd better get inside, Erwin. Levi's in trouble."

Erwin immediately sobered, forgetting all notion of describing what had happened. "In trouble how? What's happened to him? Is he hurt? Sick? He was fine when I left. I've only been gone for a few hours."

Dita winced at Erwin's growing intensity. "Hey, we've been taking care of him, but I think you should get the details from—"

The left side of the double doors to the manor entry banged open at that moment, and Hange came striding out with a half-crazed look on her face. Behind her followed a beta male with collar-length, dark blond hair. He looked concerned, and he softly discouraged her advance.

"Hange, I really don't think you should be...um..." the stranger trailed off at the sight of Erwin, and he visibly gulped.

"Just _what_ kind of man leaves his mate suffering and comes back home looking like a bruised turd?" demanded Hange of Erwin, ignoring everyone else around them. Behind the lenses of her rectangular-shaped glasses, the alpha female's wine-colored eyes were bright and wide with intensity. "We have been trying to contact you for _hours_ , you flighty blond imbecile!"

Erwin had seen Hange livid before, but never directed at _him_. He was admittedly startled by the outburst, and he tensed with the sudden expectation of a blow. Having never been a recipient of Hange's outbursts, Erwin suddenly gained a new perspective, and he now understood why other men tended to piss themselves when she launched at them.

"Let's try the kind of man who had no idea his mate was suffering at all," reasoned Erwin calmly. He put out an arm in front of Ymir, who had tensed and fallen into a fighting stance habitually. "No fighting, Ymir. Hange, explain yourself. Now."

The science-minded gangster caved a bit under Erwin's cold, glacier-like stare...as most did when he got authoritative. "Levi's in bad shape," explained Hange, lowering her voice. "It's his heat. I've never seen one like this, Erwin. We've been doing all we can to keep him calm, but what he needs the most right now is his alpha. We've been trying to reach you."

Erwin's mind spun, and he ignored the curious look he got from Ymir. She was out of the loop, having just recently gotten involved due to extenuating circumstances. "I don't understand," he admitted softly. "Levi's heat shouldn't be an issue. We took care of the matter immediately upon bringing him home. He was fine."

Hange shook her head. Her ponytail slipped further to the left, having been pulled mostly loose. "Well, he's not 'fine' now, and his condition is accelerating at an alarming rate. You need to get your tight ass up there now and take care of him. He's half-delirious and feverish with the heat. I don't suppose you picked up any alpha condoms while you were out on your excursion?"

Erwin flushed, caught between concern for his love and utter confusion. He'd sensed Levi's distress, but he'd just assumed it was because the dancer was pissed off to wake up and find him gone. "Well yes. I did happen to consider that while I was in town conducting my business."

"Good. Use them," suggested Hange, "although at this point, I think you'll end up knotting too much for even specialized condoms to be of much use. Levi made it pointedly clear that you're hung like a mule. They'll probably bust open anyway, but oh well; waste not, want not!"

Hange got behind Erwin, ignoring his sputtering questions as she started shoving him toward the door. "Go, big guy! Go, go, go!"

* * *

"Why is he tied down?" thundered Erwin immediately upon seeing his sweaty, writhing mate restrained by the wrists and ankles to their bed.

"Shh, Erwin," admonished Hange, glancing down the hall. "I didn't want to put him in restraints, but he was out of control. We'll talk about it later, okay? Right now, Levi needs his alpha. That's the fastest way to get him some relief. Once you've taken care of that, he should calm down enough to be released. He's already bitten Eren, so mind the teeth!"

Erwin gave a little start as the door slammed shut behind him. He dragged his fingers through his hair with a sigh, and he approached the bed. "Levi, I'm sorry," he murmured, watching the rapid rise and fall of Levi's pale chest. He felt horribly guilty, but he couldn't have predicted something like this happening. "If I'd known you were in this condition, I wouldn't have...wait a moment...what in the world?"

It was then that Erwin realized his own discarded boxer briefs were draped around Levi's neck. He bent over to pluck them up with a frown. "Levi, why is this..."

"Erwin," moaned the omega, straining and flushed. "E-Erwin..."

At once, it made a crazy sort of sense to the blond, and he knew without a doubt that Hange must have concocted the idea. Alpha and omega scent glands were located in the neck, wrist and groin regions, with the last one being the most potent. Hange must have come up with the idea of putting Erwin's used underwear around Levi's neck to offer him some comfort. Being attuned to Erwin as he was, it probably did help the omega at least a little bit to have his scent close by.

"You don't need this anymore," whispered Erwin, again stricken with a terrible, helpless sort of guilt. If he'd only been more observant and not made assumptions that Levi's heat was finished, his mate might not be in this mess. Gently, Erwin removed the piece of underwear, and he began to mark Levi with his scent. He rubbed his wrists over the omega's straining throat, and across his cheeks. Levi visibly calmed a little as the fresh scent marking soothed his mating anxiety.

Erwin didn't stop there. He sat up and unbuttoned his shirt, then undid his pants. He stripped as quickly as possible, hardly caring where his clothes hit the floor. He unbound Levi's ankles so that he could get the omega's pajama bottoms off, whispering calming words to him all the while. Erwin wanted to free Levi's wrists as well, but he remembered Hange's cautionary warning, and he could sense how delirious his poor little dancer was.

"I'm sorry," apologized Erwin, stretching out on top of Levi and rubbing his groin intimately against the smaller man's. He was hardening quickly, and he felt repulsive for it. Bondage for fun and games was all well and good, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was taking advantage of Levi's helplessness. Such a concept might not have bothered him in the beginning, but now it was unbearable. "Levi, please forgive me."

"Just...fuck me," panted Levi, eyes blazing and fangs exposed.

Erwin almost kissed him as he stroked himself to full hardness, put on a condom and positioned his sex at the omega's slippery entrance, but he thought better of it at the last moment. He could lose his tongue if he tried to put it in that fanged mouth, right now. He needed to take care of Levi's immediate need and get him calmed down before putting any part of himself within biting distance. He knew Levi wouldn't do it on purpose, but the suffering omega wasn't in his right mind at the moment.

"I love you," assured Erwin huskily, entering him as gently as possible. "I'm all yours, Levi."

* * *

At first, Hange was going to grant Petra's request and let her take a shift watching over Levi, but then she'd thought about the nasty bite Eren sustained while doing so, and she changed her mind about that. Now they were in an argument; their very first lover's spat. It was ironic that this was happening on the same day they'd finally consummated.

"I don't understand," protested Petra, having just come into the bedroom they were sharing after having a shower. "First you said I was the second most obvious choice in omegas to take care of him, but then you did a complete 180! What's that about?"

"It's too dangerous," said Hange simply, shrugging.

Petra glared at her.

"Petra, my dear," sighed Hange, "didn't you see Eren's forearm? I don't want the same thing happening to you, and now Erwin's home anyway, so he can take care of Levi's needs. If I'm right, the shrimp will be a lot better after he gets a good pounding or three from his alpha."

Petra sighed, and she resumed towel-drying her hair. "I didn't see you worrying too much over Eren."

"I'm not sleeping with Eren."

Petra paused, peering out from under the towel at the alpha woman. Hange stared right back at her, and she didn't back down. "You're my omega now, Petra, even if we haven't pair-bonded yet. I've marked you. Don't tell me you're surprised that I'm protective of you. I warned you about this, didn't I?"

"Wow, you don't even try to disguise it," snorted Petra. "Most alphas would at least try to pretend they aren't being brutish and possessive."

Hange smirked. "I'm not most alphas, darling. I will _never_ lie to you. That much, you can count on. Even if the truth is unpleasant, it's what you're going to get from me."

Hange braced herself for an outburst. Though Petra was a sweet-natured girl in general, she did have a temper that could flare up at a moment's notice. Instead of another verbal reaming, however, the ginger sat down beside Hange on the bed, took the towel off of her head and leaned against the bigger female.

"You're hopeless," whispered Petra.

Hange chuckled, putting an arm around her. She kissed Petra's damp hair. "So then you forgive me for being brutish and possessive?"

"That depends on how well you make it up to me later." Petra tilted her head up to look at Hange with a playful twinkle in her amber gaze, but her amusement faded a moment later. "Hange, what if Levi _doesn't_ get better? You said that you think his condition keeps accelerating. What if it doesn't stop?"

"I'm confident that it will," soothed Hange, "although it might take a few mating sessions to make it ebb away completely. My theory is that Carver did some sort of hormonal enhancement on Levi while he had him. His aim was apparently to impregnate him, and he wanted to ensure it happened with relative ease. When I get the chance, I'll run blood and hormone level tests, and I'll keep monitoring the latter. If I'm right...well, maybe advising Erwin to use alpha condoms wasn't the right way to go."

Petra frowned. "What do you mean? Isn't it better for them to be using some kind of protection, if Levi's actually fertile again?"

Hange stared off into space, her mind whirling with possibilities. "I'm not so sure. It's just a theory, and without getting it straight from the figurative horse's mouth, I can't be certain. Don't mind me, lover. I'm just thinking out loud, and it's going to take more research to clarify anything. For now, let me just assure you that Levi's condition is almost sure to improve, now that he's with his alpha. It could just be temporary, but he'll feel better."

Almost to herself, the alpha female muttered: "Of course, I might need to give Erwin a little something to help him keep up with it, if this goes on much longer."

"You mean male enhancement?" Petra grinned, shaking her head. "I don't think Mr. Smith is going to need that, given what I've overheard from that bedroom over the past two days."

Hange laughed, and she gave Petra a squeeze. "Believe it or not, alpha stamina isn't totally infallible. Erwin's a prime specimen of male alpha-hood, but he's no spring chicken. Don't tell him I said that, though."

"I won't say a word," promised Petra. She gave Hange a lingering kiss on the lips. "Hange, maybe this isn't the best time to ask about it, but on the subject of babies...do you think maybe someday, it would be possible for you to undo what was done to me?"

Hange gazed at her searchingly, her heart beating a little faster. "Sweetheart, are you telling me you might want to have my babies someday?"

Parenthood was definitely not a thing Hange had ever considered before, but then, she'd never imagined herself committed to an omega. The thought of making little Petra Zoë's wasn't an unpleasant notion.

"Some day, maybe," whispered the dancer, smiling shyly. "I haven't exactly made it a secret that I'd like to have a family of my own, but up until recently, I never thought that was in the cards for me."

Hange stared at her helplessly. Well, she'd asked. Why wasn't she scared shitless by this admission? Why wasn't she slamming on the breaks and telling Petra she wasn't a family woman? Indeed, her own actions and feelings were surprising to Hange, and she cupped her lover's face in her palms.

"Then when this 'maybe someday' comes, I'll be willing to try for you."

* * *

Erwin gave everything he had into satisfying Levi's needs, and when the omega finally fell into an exhausted sleep, the blond alpha was covered with bites, bruises and hickeys. Erwin hadn't complained a single time when Levi's teeth sank into him—not to drink from him, but just to bite him in lust. When he was sure his mate was sated and peacefully resting, Erwin disentangled himself from him, and he freed Levi's wrists from the restraints. He got dressed, found Hange and supervised while she and her friend Moblit drew blood samples from his unconscious mate.

After that, it was a waiting game. Erwin took the opportunity to have some dinner, and he brought a plate up to Levi and roused him to eat. At first the dancer was belligerent and cranky from being woken up, but his stomach got the better of him, and Levi allowed Erwin to feed him the stew that Sasha had made for dinner. His heat scent had faded, but by the time Hange had the test results to report to him, Erwin heard Levi calling for him desperately again.

It kept coming back, and Erwin went through the entire box of condoms he'd bought. Well over half of them tore midway through the sexual encounters. He wondered why he'd even bothered, and it was almost funny how Hange had predicted they wouldn't be of much use. Erwin had never had so much trouble with condoms before. He'd long ago found a brand and size that suited him, but that was under the premise of "normal" sex. With Levi, he found himself experiencing mini ruts every time they fucked. They kept fading once he'd satisfied the initial demand, but Erwin swore he'd never knotted with anyone so damned much in his life. It was no wonder the condoms couldn't hack it.

Two more days passed, and aside from taking breaks to rest, eat or bathe, Erwin spent most of his time having sex with Levi. He certainly didn't complain about it, but his pelvis and ass muscles were absolutely killing him by the end of day two. He hobbled down the stairs like an old man to check on the latest test results, and Moblit immediately offered him a couple of Ibuprofen upon seeing how stiff he was.

"Well, that was a waste of money and effort," groused Erwin in reference to the condoms, sitting down gingerly on the couch in the sitting room that they'd designated as their research room. Moblit had already excused himself, leaving the pair of them alone so that they could speak business freely. "How is it looking, Hange?"

She pulled the printed test results out of the printer, and she handed them over. "Much the same, I'm sorry to say. His hormone levels drop after you've mated, but they keep spiking again within a few hours." She gave him a look that was half-amused and half-pitying. "You're starting to look like a pin cushion, Erwin. At least the swelling in your eye is nearly gone now, though. By the way; you never did tell us what happened. Ymir filled us in, but I'd like to hear it from you."

"I had a meeting with Shadis and Pixis concerning Carver, and what I might be able to do to get him into our custody. We're going to work on that, but in the meantime, he's in a high security prison. I've managed to contact our Akimoto associates and with some monetary persuasion, they've agreed to have their people watch the holding facility at night to help prevent Carver's possible escape."

"I see. What about the bruises? Ymir said you two stopped an arsenic attempt on the club."

Erwin nodded. "Yes. I stopped by there after my meeting to check on the place. Ymir was there already, fighting someone in the back alley. I joined in, and two more opponents drove up. It was a rather brutal fight, but we won out and two of the suspects have been disposed of. The others got away. My guess is they were Pinchet's people, and they must not have gotten word that their boss is dead. They were just there to try and set fire to the place."

Hange nodded. "That's what Ymir said, more or less. Are you sure they were with Pinchet? They could have been from one of the smaller rival syndicates."

"Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to confirm it," sighed Erwin.

"Hmm." Hange tapped her chin. "So why didn't you call for backup? Why couldn't any of us reach you on your phone? Dead battery?"

"No, it got broken in the fight," explained Erwin, "and to be honest, I probably wouldn't have called for assistance even if it hadn't. I was spoiling for someone to hit, and their faces happened to be a convenient outlet."

Hange laughed at that. "Ahh, so much for that level head we're always praising you for. I hope it helped some."

"It was therapeutic," agreed the mafia boss with a little smile. He ran his fingers through his mussed golden hair, sighing as his thoughts sobered. "Right now, my main concern is with Levi. I've been borrowing Mike's phone to keep in touch with Shadis when possible, and we're trying to gain access to Carver so that we can at least attempt to get details about what exactly he did to my Levi, but progress is slow. I'm concerned that this condition of his might be permanent."

"You may just have to spend the rest of your life banging him," Hange observed, only half-teasing.

"I could think of a worse fate for a man to suffer." Erwin smirked, but it faded quickly. "Seriously though, Hange, I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. I'm doing my best to ensure Levi gets all the nutrition he needs as well as relief from his condition, but I'm running out of energy. Hange, is he going to die?"

Erwin swallowed hard at the thought, finally having expressed that worry out loud. It was a hard thing to put into words. Brutal...harsh...and all too real a possibility. Levi's body temperature kept spiking with his heat when it came back, and if Erwin's stamina failed him, if he couldn't satisfy the need...

"He's not going to die," promised Hange, her eyes flashing with intensity. "We won't let that happen, Erwin. I think we're getting close to finding a solution, and if Carver was putting something in Levi's food to cause this, then it will eventually get out of his system. You just need to hang in there. Everything else in these tests I've been conducting is coming out normal. As far as I can tell, the only surgical change to Levi's biology was the reconnection of his tubes, and that was done through rectal microsurgery. He's healthy. His hormone levels are just temporarily enhanced. Hang in there, my friend."

Erwin's jaw clenched at the thought of someone inserting anything into his mate, even if it was for clinical purposes. He believed Levi when the omega told him that Carver hadn't had the chance to sexually violate him, but the procedure Hange described was a violation in of itself. He wondered how willing Levi would be to have sex after his ordeal if it weren't for the raging heat driving him, and it made him feel sick. It didn't matter that the restraints were abolished. Levi wasn't himself right now, and Erwin wished he had the courage to speak directly to the omega about it. He was afraid of hearing the answer if he asked Levi if he really wanted him, though.

"I feel like I've been raping him," confessed Erwin softly.

"Don't," said Hange firmly. She squatted before Erwin, putting her hands on his knees and giving them a supportive squeeze. She shook her head slowly. "Don't you think that way, Erwin Smith. Levi's judgment might be slightly compromised by his condition, but you and I _both_ know that little fella wouldn't let anyone touch him against his will. He managed to stave off Carver while he was more or less at his mercy. You're his mate. He wants you, all right?"

Her words brought some measure of comfort to Erwin, but his eyes burned with the impending threat of tears, brought about by sheer frustration. "I just wish I could do more for him. I want him to spout profanities at me again and call me an idiot. I hate how this has diminished him. I just...want him to be _Levi_ again."

Hange's eyes softened with empathy, and she reached up to cup the side of Erwin's stubble-shadowed face. "He's still Levi, my dear. He's just in a bad condition, and you've been coming through like a champ for him. He's more like himself when he's lucid, right?"

Erwin nodded, blinking. Gods, was he about to start crying like a baby in front of her, now? That was all he needed. This was why he'd always avoided falling in love. It made a man weak. With Levi though, he'd hardly had a choice. It just happened before he knew it.

"Then he's still Levi," reasoned Hange softly. "You've just got to keep your faith in him, and keep being there for him. Damn, Erwin, you are so in love with this guy. I never thought I'd see the day."

Erwin snorted, and he rubbed his sore, tired eyes. "Yes, I'm screwed...both literally and figuratively."

Hange burst into raucous laughter, and she quickly slapped a hand over her mouth when Erwin raised a brow at her. "I was being serious," he said, though he was smirking at her.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh," she muttered from beneath her hand, and then she spoiled it by laughing some more. Still chuckling, she stood up, and she bent over to place a fond kiss on the crown of Erwin's head. "You'll be all right, boss. Just weather the storm."

* * *

Levi awoke with a yawn, hearing chirping birds outside. He rolled over to look at the clock, feeling more relaxed and refreshed than he'd felt in weeks. He almost smiled. He was sore for certain, but it was a pleasant kind of ache that he could live with. Erwin had been so thorough with him, so patient with his whiny demands. Levi felt a little bad about it, in fact. He'd put his ridiculously handsome alpha through hell, and he wasn't even sure how many days it had been. Once again, he was disoriented about the calendar, but he couldn't really bring himself to care. He'd supped on Erwin's rich, warm blood, had his every need seen to, and now he felt like he didn't have a care in the world. It was almost euphoric.

The subject of Levi's thoughts came into the bedroom at that moment, and upon seeing him awake, the blond alpha's shadowed blue eyes seemed to brighten. He was carrying a tray with a bowl of fruit parfait and a glass of orange juice on it.

"Levi, you're awake," observed Erwin. "How do you feel? Are you hungry?"

Those dark shadows under his eyes were worrying to Levi, and the omega observed the bruising still present around the left one. Levi felt bad. He hadn't even asked how that happened, though he'd noticed it when his heat urges weren't driving him mad. "Never mind me. How are you?"

Erwin brought the tray to him, and he set it over Levi's lap as the dancer got into a sitting position. Erwin re-arranged the pillows to cushion Levi's back. "I'm fine, Levi. I'm just a bit tired. Your scent has changed." The red-rimmed, bright gaze flicked over him thoughtfully, hopefully. "Is it better now?"

Levi nodded, lowering his eyes. "I think it's finally stopped. I feel...good. Now stop stalling and tell me what the fuck happened to your eye." He saw the bite marks on the top of Erwin's right hand, and he winced. "And how much did I fucking bite you, anyway?"

"Don't worry about it." Erwin smiled. "I know you weren't trying to hurt me. As for the black eye..."

Erwin explained everything to Levi as the omega ate his breakfast. When he was finished, the alpha gazed steadily at him. Some strong emotion was apparent in those blue eyes, and Levi couldn't resist reaching out to trace his mate's eyelids with the pad of a thumb.

"I've never seen you look so damned worried," observed Levi softly.

Erwin smirked. "I've never felt so damned worried." He met Levi's eyes again, tilting his head slightly. "You're sure it's better, though? It's stopped?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's finally over with," agreed Levi. He frowned. So, Carver was in maximum security, and Erwin was trying to get access to him. He thought of his original plan to give the doctor the same treatment he'd received at his hands, and he shuddered in revulsion. No, he wouldn't drink from Carver even if he were starving and the man's neck was the last one in the world to bite. He needed his revenge, though.

"I still want to get him," informed Levi, staring blankly at his napkin. "I want to make him pay, but...I dunno, I don't have a great imagination. I keep thinking he should get poetic justice, but that would require touching that asshole again, and I don't want to ever do that again."

Erwin seemed to consider the problem deeply. After a few moments of silence, he took Levi's tray from him, and his eyes lit up connivingly. "Levi, I think I may have a solution that will both grant you vengeance and save you from needing to lay so much as a finger on him."

"Oh yeah?" Levi stretched with a sigh. He felt safe and warm and relaxed, and he trusted his alpha's judgment. "What did you have in mind?"

Erwin smiled at him. "His actions implied a sort of desperation for sunlight immunity, wouldn't you say?"

Levi shrugged. "Yeah. So?" At once, he realized where Erwin might be going with this, and he started to grin in spite of himself. "Oh, I see."

"The next full moon," Erwin stated softly. "Wait that long, Levi. We have the means, we just need to be patient."

Levi nodded. "Roger. I hear you loud and clear, you brilliant fucker."

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of chapter recap:
> 
> Levi: (ಠ.ಠ) "Shit, what fucking day is it?"
> 
> Eren: "Oh, your bae left you some things, Levi. How are you feeling?"
> 
> Levi: "Fine." Actually, I'm getting horny again and this banana is making me think of Erwin's big, fat cock. Damn, I want more of it.
> 
> Eren: (⊙_◎) "Uh, wow Levi...you must be really hungry."
> 
> Hange: "I just got laid and...whoa...never mind the cigarette. I wasn't expecting to walk in here and see fruit porn. Damn, Levi, you mustn't have a gag reflex at all!"
> 
> Levi: (ノ-_-)ノ ~┻━┻ "I want Erwin. NOW."
> 
> Hange: "...okay, we're going to have to tie him up."
> 
> Eren: "W-wait a minute! Is that necessary?"
> 
> Hange: "Do you want your throat ripped out if he loses it, Eren?"
> 
> Eren: "...no."
> 
> Erwin: *Shows up looking like a "bruised turd" (you can thank the movie "Nothing to Lose" starring Martin Lawrence and Tim Robbins for that little reference. If you haven't seen it, go watch it now! It's hilarious!) "I feel terrible. Where's Levi?"
> 
> Hange: "Upstairs waiting for your dick. No time to explain! Go pound your ornery little omega like there's no tomorrow, Erwin!" *shove*
> 
> Erwin: (´-_ゝ-`) "...why is my underwear around his neck, and why the fuck is he tied to the bed? Hange, this surpasses even your insanity."
> 
> Hange: "It's for his own good! Now hurry up and do him before we have to resort to even crazier means to protect ourselves!"
> 
> Levi: "I feel so much better, thanks to your cock. I still want to go after Carver, though. I just don't want to touch the fucker."
> 
> Erwin: "Hmm, I have an idea."
> 
> Levi: ( -̮ ) "Oh, I get it. You're smart, blondie...real smart."


	24. Chapter 24

Carver lay in his bunk, staring up at the ceiling. If he wasn't mistaken, tonight was the full moon. That was unsettling for him, and he'd tried to explain to his guards that he needed added security. They'd looked at him like he was insane, naturally. Not that additional monitoring would really ensure he stayed put in this place; he planned to be out of there by the stroke of midnight tomorrow, provided his people acted in a timely manner. He was all too aware of the fact that he not only had an entire clan of Asian vampires with a grudge against his family, but a powerful syndicate with a score to settle, as well. He'd done his best to secure his escape by his limited means of communication, but things were moving frightfully slow.

He sighed, his thoughts going to the young, beautiful Ackerman omega he'd briefly called his own. Levi...dark, sensual, fierce little Levi. He'd felt more for the dancer than he dared to admit. He found Levi amusing and entertaining, as well as attractive. He still wanted him, and he didn't intend to give up on his goal. He wondered if his hormonal treatments he'd given to Levi had worked as intended, and he cursed his misfortune in being denied the opportunity to find out. What would it have been like to have that enigmatic beauty spread out beneath him, gasping his name? Indeed, Richard had never met another omega that enchanted him so much before.

"I will find you again," vowed Carver in a whisper, "and we'll finish what we started, Levi. I'll be sure not to second-guess myself this time and be rid of that bothersome mate of yours, too."

With Erwin out of the picture, Levi would be much more manageable. Richard had made a mistake in being lenient, trying to avoid being the one to bereave Levi of his mate for the sake of winning him over. He wouldn't be making that error again. Levi was his, and the stubborn creature would learn that lesson no matter how it might break his heart. He would get over it. Once the first child came, Levi would settle down and start to appreciate his new mate's loving attentions.

Consumed by his own delusional thoughts, Carver didn't immediately sense the change in the air. He saw the fog coagulate near his bunk, and he jerked to a sitting position, reaching for the makeshift knife he'd fashioned from a broken shard of mirror and bundled twine. He knew this wasn't one of his own coming for him...he'd even anticipated it. He moved faster than the naked eye could see, coming up behind the fleshy form that materialized out of the fog. He put the knife to the man's throat the moment he solidified, and he spoke into his ear in a low, dangerous voice.

"I'm not that easy."

"Are you sure?" came a soft, female voice from behind him.

Carver whirled and kicked out, but the source of the voice seemed to blink out of existence, and the next thing he knew, she was standing to his left. Her glowing green eyes blazed in her slender face, and he recognized her immediately. She was the one they called the Dragoness; the alpha female that led the Akimoto clan.

"You have an appointment...Carver," she hissed, baring her fangs. Her hand shot out, the green-tipped nails digging into the doctor's throat cruelly and drawing blood. He felt his windpipe getting crushed, and it was more than a little distracting. Curse these damned Akimoto's and the fuel they seemed to draw from the full moon.

* * *

Erwin was puffing on his cigar, waiting beside his mate by the car. Dressed in a long brown trench coat, he looked every bit the gangster. Levi was leaning against the side of the car next to him, wearing leather pants, spiked boots and a leather jacket. The silver cross Erwin had bought for him to replace the one he lost glinted in the moonlight, resting against the black turtleneck the dancer wore beneath his jacket. Erwin showed courtesy to his mate and made sure to blow his cigar smoke away from Levi so that it wouldn't get into his face.

"So the Ackermans helped the Akimoto clan against the Carvers," Erwin recapped after finally getting the details behind the latter's willingness to assist Kenny when he asked them for it.

Levi nodded. "Yeah. They might have been wiped out, if it weren't for my clan. I wasn't born yet when it happened, so my history might need some polishing. Kenny and Mom were still kids when it was going on. I guess my grandparents were in on it, according to my uncle. The Carvers were trying to wipe out the Akimoto presence in Trost. My clan—what was left of us—allied with 'em. Since we're the only vampires that can move around in daylight, we had an advantage. My family struck while the Carvers were holed up during the daylight hours. They set up explosives in every known Carver hub in the city, blowing them all up."

Levi shrugged and looked up at the stars. "It's kind of cowardly if you ask me, but it eliminated the threat. What was left of the Carver clan packed up and relocated after that. The Akimoto clan swore to come to the Ackerman clan's aid if we ever needed it, after that. Too bad most of us died out. Maybe I was selfish to have myself sterilized."

Erwin's gaze drifted to Levi's torso area, and he wondered about that last comment. Perhaps it was reckless, wishful thinking, but there was a possibility that Levi, Kenny and Mikasa might not be the very last of their kind.

"Why are you leering at me like that, creep?" Levi raised a brow at him.

Caught in the act, Erwin smiled helplessly at him. He thumped his cigar in the dirt, and he put it out with his shoe. He approached his mate, putting his arms around him and ignoring his surly demeanor. He placed a hand against Levi's abdomen, gazing deeply into his eyes.

"You may yet renew the blood of your clan, Levi," murmured Erwin. "You could be carrying our child as we speak."

Levi swallowed, and he averted his gaze. "Maybe. At least you called it 'our' child and not just yours. Really pisses me off when guys talk about it like the mother is just holding something for them."

"I respect you too much to say otherwise," assured Erwin seriously. "Should a pregnancy come of this—"

"Oi, we agreed not to jump to conclusions," protested Levi. "Don't get ahead of yourself, blondie."

"It's a subject that bears some discussion," reasoned the alpha. "Levi, I know it's something you wish to avoid thinking about, but we really should have a serious talk about it. Whether you're pregnant or not, this is something we need to address. I'll stand by you if you want to be sterilized again or go on birth control. You know I will. Don't tell me that you haven't been considering the possibility that you're with child, though. I haven't seen you smoke a single cigarette since your heat faded, and at dinner the other night, you passed up your favorite cocktail. You're preparing yourself, aren't you? You've been thinking of the baby."

"It's too soon to tell if there's a baby at all," snapped Levi, trying to pull out of his mate's affectionate embrace. "Fuck, maybe I just haven't felt like smoking or drinking."

"I would think that after what you've endured, you would be more than willing to imbibe," pressed Erwin. He cupped the omega's chin, urging Levi to tilt his head back and meet his gaze. "You've chosen not to, and I'm no fool."

Levi parted his lips, hesitating. Finally, he sighed. "All right; I'm playing it cautious. You don't have to worry about me trying to get rid of it if I'm pregnant, okay? I'll keep it, even if I won't know what to do with it if and when I manage to have it. Right now, I just want to focus on Carver. Think we could do that?"

Erwin nodded. It wasn't a good idea to keep pushing Levi when the omega was already so tense, especially if he was in the delicate condition Erwin believed he might be in. "We'll drop the subject, for now."

By no means did that mean he intended to let it go completely, and Levi obviously understood that. Erwin could sense his fear and uncertainty, even if Levi managed to hide it behind a bland expression of indifference. He understood. Even without the complications Levi had described, unintended pregnancy had to be a frightening prospect for anyone.

A familiar fog began to form a few feet away from them, and Erwin stepped back from his companion with anticipation. He'd been starting to worry that Airi and her companion might not complete their task on time before the sun rose, but the minute he saw three forms step out of the fog, he knew his concern had been unfounded. He put a hand on the handle of his gun, ready to pull it and shoot if their quarry made a false move—especially toward Levi.

"So, this is the man who wanted to breed his own army of Ackermans," mused Erwin coldly as he looked over the bruised up doctor held between the two Akimoto vampires. Carver didn't look like much to him, but he'd been roughed up by two people of strength equal to his own. His glasses were broken and crooked on his middle-aged face. He wasn't as lanky as Kenny, but he was slim in build. Some might have described his features as handsome, but Levi's description of him was right on the money. There was no vestige of humanity in that face or those eyes. At least, not until Richard noticed Levi standing off to the left of Erwin, and those blue-green orbs fixated on the omega with open desire.

"Don't look at him," warned Erwin softly, vexed that the man would be so bold as to stare at his mate as if he were a lost lover. "He's not yours for the privilege of the familiarity in your stare."

"You're making a big mistake," Carver said, remarkably calm sounding despite his peril. "I have powerful allies, Smith. I could have had you disposed of if I had chosen to, but I was merciful. Let me go, and I can get you whatever you want."

Erwin stepped closer to him, his blue gaze boring into the man like sapphire flame. "Can you give my mate back the dignity you stole from him while he was under your care, Doctor?"

Carver's eyes flicked to Levi again, and he swallowed. "I did no harm to him. He was treated well."

"Tch, you've got a skewed definition of the term," growled Levi. "Since when is it treating someone well to coerce and drug them in preparation for rape, doc? You sick old bastard."

"The sun is going to be coming up soon," reminded Airi softly. "We need to move this along."

"Yes, of course," agreed Erwin. He opened the trunk of his car, and he pulled out links of thick silver chain he'd procured especially for this moment. "Let's get on with this. Thank you both for your assistance."

"It was our genuine pleasure," stated Airi with a nod. She gave Carver a disgusted look. "I would like to do the same to all of their kind, but I suppose that would make us no better than they are."

Erwin could think of nothing to say about that, having no idea what it must have been like to have their clan hunted down and slaughtered like animals before the Ackermans came to their aid. It seemed everything went full circle, and now at least one of the remaining Carvers would face justice for his actions.

* * *

"You think I'm a wimp?"

Erwin glanced sidelong at his companion, surprised by the question. Levi wore a pair of shades to protect his sensitive eyes from the glare of the rising sun as they drove far out of the grid. The bangs and muffled protests coming from the trunk were getting louder by the moment, but even if their prisoner managed to break out of the trunk, he had nowhere to go.

"Why would I think that?"

Levi shrugged, starting straight ahead at the empty highway. "Because I don't want to touch the sleaze. Feels like I'm having you do the dirty work for me."

"Levi, he traumatized you," excused Erwin gently. He reached out to squeeze the smaller man's knee. "If the thought of any physical contact with him repulses you so much, I can hardly blame you. I'm happy to do your 'dirty work' if it will bring you some peace of mind and help you feel safe again."

Levi took the blond's answer into consideration. Of course, he hadn't expected Erwin to mind doing his part in this. He was an alpha, and regardless of how hard Erwin tried to treat Levi with respect and not exert influence over him, it was still second nature for him to be protective of his omega. Levi got that now, and he no longer resented it as he once did. He was disappointed in himself, though. Carver had done more harm to him than simply hold him prisoner for a while. He'd taken away Levi's choice, and the only thing that made it bearable was the fact that if he was with child, at least it was Erwin's and not the creepy doctor's.

"I wanted to kill him myself," whispered Levi, "with my own two hands. I still want to see him die, but I don't want to touch him."

Erwin already knew all of this, but the blond said nothing. He let Levi vent, quietly listening to his reflective words.

"It's almost like...he'll do something to me somehow if any part of him touches any part of me," Levi went on, struggling to express how he felt about it. Yes, that was it. He had the irrational fear that if he came into contact with Carver, the man would magically knock him up, and then Levi would never be able to accept it if he found out he was indeed pregnant. It seemed irrational and stupid to him, but he couldn't help how he felt.

"Then you don't need to touch him," soothed Erwin. "I'll take care of getting him out of the trunk, Levi. Once that's done, he'll have other matters to worry about than laying hands on you."

Levi smirked. Yeah, even a nut-job like Carver wasn't likely to prioritize getting his hands on Levi while he had the sun beating down on him. "That's a bonus."

Erwin gave him an encouraging little smile. He pulled off on a dirt road leading far out into the plains. When they were far enough away from the highway not to be seen by any traffic that might come by this far out into the country, Erwin pulled off of the road and brought the car into park. He undid his safety belt, and Levi did the same. Taking a deep breath, Levi followed his companion around to the back of the car, and he stood back as the blond opened up the trunk. Carver's eyes were wide with fear, and they narrowed immediately upon being exposed to the bright, early morning light. Levi could see the dawning comprehension on his face, and finally, the fear. He'd wondered if the man was even capable of feeling that primal emotion, but as Carver struggled against Erwin's efforts to pull him out of the trunk, Levi got confirmation that he was not immune to it.

Erwin ripped the gag off of Carver's mouth, and he threw him on the ground with a jingle of chains. Carver squirmed and rolled, trying to get under the car and out of the sunlight. His skin was already starting to blister and blacken. The sickly-sweet smell of burning flesh filled the air, and Levi prudently tied the handkerchief he'd brought with him over his mouth and nose to filter the smell.

"You'd best make your way south," suggested Erwin, shoving the doctor away with a booted foot. "There's an old barn a half a mile in that direction. Maybe you'll make it."

He even gave the man the courtesy of bending over to unlock the padlock securing the silver chains around Carver's ankles. The flesh was raw and torn where the metal made contact with it at the hem of Richard's prison pants. Panting in terror now, Carver struggled to his feet. He didn't plead with them, but he gave Levi one last, blood-shot stare filled with regret. It wasn't the sort of regret of a man that was sorry for what he'd done, but the regret of a man that almost had what he wanted and wished he'd done more to secure it.

"Better move your ass, creep," prompted Levi, unsettled by that obsessive stare. Here the guy was with his skin smoking, blistering and cracking, and he was still focused on Levi. The omega dancer stood his ground, though his instincts told him to put the car between himself and his former tormentor as a barrier.

Carver hesitated for a moment longer, wisps of smoke curling more rapidly from the exposed parts of his body. He then started to lope away awkwardly, the silver chains still binding his wrists hampering his flight. He started to moan in pain and growing desperation. Erwin came up beside Levi and he put an arm around him as a flames began to flicker along Carver's skin. His clothes started to burn, and the doctor's moans became ragged cries. Those soon turned into screams. Carver staggered, and he went down about ten yards away from the car. He started rolling in the dirt in a futile effort to put himself out, writhing and shouting in agony. Black smoke started to billow up from him, and then his entire body burst into flame.

It took a bit longer than Levi expected for the man's struggles to finally go still in death, and he stared at Carver's remains as they burned. There would be nothing left of him except a few shards of bone and ashes, and even the bone would crumble to soot by the end of the day, leaving nothing behind to identify his body with.

"Hmm, a pity," Erwin remarked.

Levi looked up at him with a frown of confusion.

"I nearly picked up a bag of marshmallows, earlier," explained the blond. "We could have had a roast."

Levi blinked, wondering if he'd misheard him. When Erwin smirked coldly, he knew he hadn't. "You're kind of sick, you know that?"

"Too soon?" guessed the alpha. He leaned over to plant a kiss on the crown of his omega's head. "I can take things personally at times too, love. Finding humor in the demise of the man that nearly took you from me is my way of gleaning satisfaction."

* * *

It was finally over with. After ridding the world of Pinchet and Carver, it was surprisingly easy for Erwin to negotiate with what remained of the Stohess syndicate. The man that took over as the boss of that Mafia wanted no part in further conflict with Erwin's family. With the power base eliminated, most of their profits out the window and the authorities keeping a tight watch on their activities, they had little choice but to cooperate with Erwin's demands and give up the territory they'd gained during Pinchet's reign. Trost was once again under Erwin's control.

The club opened back up, and all of the dancers except for Mina returned to work. Erwin didn't give her any hassle about it when she respectfully resigned, explaining to him that while she loved her little "family", she just couldn't go back to being an erotic dancer. Instead, she found a job at a department store and used her savings to go to beauty school. She wanted to be a beautician some day and eventually have her own salon, and she promised to give everyone discounts when she succeeded in that dream.

Business went on as usual, though with markedly higher profits than before. The family procured more racketeering investments, business was booming at the Omega Experience, and after a month of determined convincing, Erwin finally got Levi to abandon his little apartment and move into the penthouse with him.

It was shortly after getting settled in Erwin's penthouse that Levi began to experience the first telling symptoms. He tried to ignore them at first, but after day three of morning sickness and an increased need for blood, he couldn't deny the signs. He went to see Hange without saying anything to his mate about it, trusting only her as his doctor since his experience with Carver. She took blood and urine samples from him, and Levi sat nervously on the examination table in the syndicate's private medical clinic, waiting for the results.

Hange came back into the room after a while, and she gave him a somewhat sympathetic look when she saw the way his feet were swinging and kicking in mid-air like an impatient child.

"Well cutie, the results are in," Hange told him. She pulled up her stool and sat down on it, looking over the printed results. "You're definitely pregnant."

Levi closed his eyes, cursing under his breath. "You're sure? It couldn't be a false positive?"

"I'm sure. We could test again, but the results aren't going to change, Levi." She handed over the pages to him so that he could see the results himself. "If it's of any comfort, everything else is pretty normal. Your blood count and iron levels are a little low, but that's to be expected from what you've told me. I can arrange additional blood to be dropped off at you and Erwin's place. We need to make sure you don't go anemic on us."

Levi cursed again. He looked down at his swinging, booted feet, his hands squeezing the edge of the examination table. "I don't know if I can do this," he confessed softly.

Hange clucked her tongue, and she got off the stool to give him a gentle hug. "There's nothing for you to 'do', really. All you need to do is take good care of yourself. Nature will do the rest, and I'm just a phone call away if you feel anything amiss. You can get through this, Levi. You're too stubborn not to."

He took a deep, shaken breath. He'd hoped he would deal with it better than this if his fears were confirmed. He'd taken care of himself all his life...for the most part. He really didn't _have_ to go through this. It was still very early. He had plenty of time to end it.

_~But then I'd be getting rid of a part of Erwin. Fuck, I can't do that. I'd never be able to look at myself in the mirror again. Besides, I already told him I'd have it if I'm pregnant.~_

Almost as if she was reading his mind, Hange pulled back and gazed into his eyes. "Did you tell Erwin you were having these tests done today?"

Levi shook his head. "No. He's been busy as fuck this week, and I didn't want him distracted while he's conducting business. He needs to keep his head when dealing with some of these people and I don't want him to end up shot because he's worrying about me instead of paying attention to his surroundings."

"That's understandable." She sighed, and she ruffled Levi's dark hair with affection. "I hope you'll discuss it with him before making any rash decisions though, Levi. If it were me and Petra, I'd want to be included, and Erwin is your life mate. I won't tell you what to do, but consider that carefully."

"I already have," he assured her. "I wasn't gonna...not without..." Levi trailed off miserably. He already knew what Erwin's opinion on the matter would be. The blond had already asked him a few times if he'd taken any home pregnancy tests, and Levi could hear the hope in his voice. The big idiot really wanted a family, even though he tried to be casual about it when he spoke of it. It didn't matter that Erwin had never considered parenthood until recently; he was obviously singing a different tune now.

"I'll tell him tonight at dinner," decided Levi. His choice was already made, terrifying though it was. Who the hell was he kidding? He couldn't get rid of it. Of course, that resolution brought about a whole new problem.

"Fuck, how am I supposed to keep dancing with a bloated, pregnant belly? Maybe some people have a kink for that sort of thing, but I'd be disgusted with myself for capitalizing on it."

"You could focus on management until the baby comes," suggested Hange with a grin. "In fact, you should probably cut out the dancing right away. You need to take it easy."

"I'm not broken," he objected, but as soon as he said the words, he realized he might as well be. This was not going to be an easy pregnancy to carry by any stretch of the imagination. He couldn't treat it like an ordinary one...not if he wanted to make it to childbirth. "Shit, I still owe Kenny. I'll never get my debt with him settled, at this rate."

Hange's brows went up. "Is _that_ what you're worried about? Levi, honey, if you tell Erwin you're going to have this baby, I am _sure_ he'll be more than happy to pay off what's left of your debt to Kenny. The only reason he hasn't done it yet is out of respect for your independence. He doesn't want to insult you by taking care of something you've insisted on doing yourself. Maybe you should just swallow your pride and let your mate help you, hmm?"

As Levi mulled over it, Hange threw one more nugget of wisdom at him. "Besides, how is Kenny ever going to get his money back if you work yourself into a fatal coma trying to pay him back? The family is doing really well right now, so it's not going to bust Erwin's piggy bank to cut your uncle a check and get it out of the way. You're having his baby. I'd say that's worth more than money to him."

Levi had to admit, shitty-glasses raised a good argument. It rankled him to rely on his mate yet again, but as Hange said, he was giving Erwin something in return that was worth more than cash. "I'll think it over," he finally decided, sighing in defeat.

* * *

Erwin could tell that something was weighing heavily on his partner's mind as they sat down to dinner together that evening. It had escaped his notice when he first got home, because his mind was still in business mode and he was occupied with plotting out his next potential business conquest. Once they sat down and Levi stirred his blood cocktail with a morose expression on his sculpted face, it clued Erwin in.

"These pork chops look really good," complimented the alpha, glancing curiously at Levi as he started cutting up his meat. "Thank you for cooking tonight, Levi."

The omega shrugged. "I've gotta take a night off once in a while. Might as well make us a decent meal when I do."

Levi fiddled with his potatoes, digging tracks in the mashed and seasoned side dish with his fork. Erwin would have thought it was cute if he didn't sense how troubled the dancer was. A possibility came to him, and with it, a surge of excited hope. He made himself calm down and not jump to conclusions, realizing he could be up for disappointment if he let himself get his hopes up too high.

"How was the rest of your day?" asked Erwin, subtly fishing. He'd been putting a bit of pressure on his mate lately, and he didn't want to overdo it.

Levi dropped his fork, and he rubbed his forehead in a sudden gesture of distress. "Upsetting as hell," he admitted softly.

Erwin paused with a bite of pork partway to his lips. He couldn't stand this; he needed to know what was going on. "Levi, what's the matter?"

The omega met Erwin's gaze, and he dropped his hand to his lap. "I went to the syndicate med clinic to see Hange today. I've been getting sick in the mornings, and I needed to be sure, so I opted out of picking up a home test."

Erwin's heart pounded in his chest as his suspicions were confirmed. "And? What did you find out?"

_~Am I going to be a father after all?~_

Levi seemed to read the question in his eyes. "Yeah. You're gonna be a fucking Dad, all right? I already decided I'd keep it if we conceived. Maybe if I manage to bring it to term I'll look into getting sterilized again afterwards, but the bun's already in the oven, so that's something to look into later. Congratulations, you blond giant. I just hope the kid doesn't take after you in size, or I'll probably have to get a C-section to have it."

Erwin had difficulty comprehending the rest of Levi's words beyond the announcement that he was confirmed pregnant. A fierce joy welled up within Erwin, greater than he'd even anticipated. It startled him to realize just how badly he'd wanted this to be true. He started to smile before he could help himself, and he scooted his chair back to get out of it and circle around the table to his mate. Erwin lowered himself to his knees beside Levi's chair, put his arms around him and hugged him close.

"Levi," he breathed, so happy that he didn't quite know how to handle it. "We will do whatever it takes to see you safely through this. I promise you."

"Well, that brings me to another point," sighed the omega. He nuzzled Erwin's hair, stroking his back. "I'm not happy at all to be asking about it, but you know I've still got a debt to pay off to Kenny. I'm gonna have to put dancing on hold for a while, and that's going to cut into my earnings in a big way. I was going to wait until I started showing to shelve the stripping, but it's probably better that I quit doing it now. I'm not saying I'm going to let myself go or anything, but pole dancing isn't safe for me or the brat. Too much strain on the body."

"I'll pay off the remaining debt," assured Erwin, more relieved than he cared to admit over his mate's sensible decision. He'd already been uneasy about Levi dancing when they could have a baby on the way, but if there was one thing that intimidated Erwin Smith, it was the thought of his mate's outrage if he overstepped himself and tried to dictate his activities. He was just grateful that Levi had stopped taking escort jobs some time ago, and he didn't dare ask for more than that.

"I fucking hate to ask it of you," confessed Levi. "Another year, and I probably could have had it paid off myself, but this puts a crimp on my progress."

"Levi, I understand." Erwin took his head off the smaller man's chest and looked up at him. "Have I pressured you at all, aside from getting you to move in with me?"

Levi shrugged. "No," he admitted. "You've been pretty good about keeping yourself in check, and that's the only reason I can accept your help in this."

"We're a family now," reminded Erwin. He placed a hand on Levi's stomach, still flat and tight. "And our family is growing. Your debt is my own, and that's how it should be. I wish you could see it that way, but I know it's difficult for you to accept help even from your mate."

Levi gave him a bare hint of a smirk. "It's starting to get a little easier."

* * *

"Oh my god, you're really _pregnant_?"

Levi sighed over Petra's ecstatic reaction to the news. He'd called everyone into the VIP room for a staff meeting the day after getting his test results. Levi didn't believe in leaving things to the last minute, and he felt he needed to explain to everyone why he was retiring from the dance floor, for now. Eren and Petra hugged each other with excitement, and Ally let loose a shrill, annoying squeal of joy.

"Fuck," spat Kenny, being the only one present that didn't show enthusiasm over the news. If anything, he looked oddly worried.

Levi could guess the source of his uncle's consternation. "Don't worry, old man; you'll get your money. As a matter of fact, I've got a check for you right here with me for the whole sum of what I still owe you. I'll still do staff management, but until this brat comes, I've got to stick to desk work."

Kenny's jaw tightened. Levi expected the news to brighten the man's day, but if anything, he just looked more frustrated. "Oi, what's your problem? The check's from Erwin, so you know it's not gonna bounce."

"That ain't it," snapped Kenny. He approached Levi, put an arm around him and urged him out of the VIP room to speak with him outside in the hallway. "Did Smith even think about what pregnancy could do to ya before he started going at you like a bunny? I thought the guy would have enough sense to use some kind of motherfucking protection when you were in heat, given what Carver did to you. Did you even get him to tell you just _what_ he did to trigger such a massive heat in you?"

"I know what he did to me," snapped Levi, eyes blazing at the reminder. "Bastard laced my food with some hormone enhancing aphrodisiac. Doesn't matter exactly what it was now, does it? It's out of my system, the damage is done and he'll never get the chance to do it again. Hange's confirmed there's nothing off with my hormone levels except the pregnancy, so back off."

Levi regarded the older man suspiciously, unused to Kenny lecturing him like this. "What's with you, anyway? You're acting all...paternal with me. It's creeping me out."

The alpha vampire hesitated, as if he wasn't quite sure of the answer to that question, himself. "I watched your mom wither away. Oi Levi, I know there's not much love lost between us, but you're still my nephew, and Kuchel's only kid. You might piss me off every chance ya get, but I don't want to see you repeating my sister's history, got it? You should get rid of the pregnancy while you can and get yourself fixed again."

Levi's expression relaxed with surprise in response to the first half of what his uncle said, and then darkened in response to the follow-up suggestion. Although he himself had briefly considered doing exactly as Kenny advised, something fierce and protective welled up within him upon hearing someone else say it. Levi wasn't even aware that he'd put a hand over his abdomen protectively as he hissed his response to Kenny's proposal.

"This kid is as much mine as it is Erwin's," said Levi in a low, dangerous voice. "I've made my decision."

"You sure it's Erwin's?" pressed Kenny, tilting his head. "Did ya just tell the man Carver never got down your pants to spare him some grief, kiddo?"

Levi's fangs elongated, the memory of how close he'd come to getting violated hitting him hard and upsetting him. "He never got the chance, like I said. I might have aborted if I thought for one minute this baby is Carver's, but it's not. It's Erwin's kid, so let it go."

"Wish I could," sighed Kenny. A hint of something that might have been sympathy briefly sparked in his pale gaze. "You said he was talking artificial insemination, right? Are you sure he didn't do that sometime while you were unconscious?"

"I'm positive," insisted Levi. "He was waiting for a heat, because my being mated to someone else made it impossible for him to knock me up outside a fertility cycle. My heat didn't start hitting me until the night you all showed up to get us out of there. I'm telling you, there's no chance at all that the father of this brat is anyone except Erwin. Keep it up and I might put you through a wall just to shut you up."

Kenny spread his hands, and the expression on his gaunt face hardened. "Fine, ya little shit. You want to take the risk, it's on you. I'm just trying to keep my nephew alive a little longer."

Levi snorted. "You've got a strange way of showing it, seeing as this wouldn't have happened to begin with if it weren't for your plan."

Kenny actually winced a little at that reminder, and he sighed. "Ya got me there. I'll give you that one." He leaned in to speak in a low, intense voice. "Just remember our bloodline is almost wiped out for a reason, Levi. Hope your man's prepared to bury you if your body starts giving out under the strain like your ma's did."

"Mother wasn't getting all of the nutrients she needed," reminded Levi. "That's not gonna happen with me. Erwin's stocking me with a blood supply, and he gives his blood to me regularly too. Don't write me off as a ghost just yet."

"I just hope you're right," muttered Kenny. He accepted the check that Levi handed to him, and he looked at the numbers on it absently. "Guess you and I are settled up, then. Good luck, runt."

Levi watched his uncle head for the stairs leading back down to the first floor of the club, and he had to admit something to himself that seemed like such a foreign notion, it was almost surreal.

Kenny Ackerman really _cared_ about him.

* * *

"What are you going to name it?" Eren asked Levi later on when things settled down and people started going back about their business. They were sitting in the dressing room together, both avoiding the subject of what led to Levi's pregnancy and focusing on the plans he was going to have to make, instead.

"Shit, I don't know. We only found out yesterday, Eren. We haven't even had the chance to sit down and talk about names. I'm still trying not to flip my shit over it."

Eren smiled at him. "I'm sorry. Guess I got ahead of myself. Armin says that statistically two male parents are more likely to have a boy. Maybe you don't even need to shop for girl baby names."

Levi shrugged. "With my luck we'd name the kid 'Luke' or 'Fred' and it'll come out a girl because of some screw-up with sex determination. I guess we'd better start brainstorming so we've got a list of choices for both genders."

"Please don't name it 'Fred'," said Eren with a grimace.

"It was just an example," admonished Levi, smirking a little. "Heh. It's not that bad anyway. 'Fred' is short for Fredrick."

"Yeah, but it doesn't sound like something you'd name your kid, anyway." Eren shrugged.

"Probably not." Levi sipped on his decaf tea, still enjoying the flavor of his favorite beverage even though he wasn't taking chances with caffeine. Hange said a little wouldn't hurt, but Kenny spooked Levi a little with all his doom talk earlier. Levi had to treat this pregnancy with kid gloves and be extra diligent about what he put in his body.

"Fuck, this is gonna be a long nine months," he sighed, realizing how restrictive his lifestyle was going to become. That was another reason he'd always rejected the notion of having kids; the loss of freedom—especially on the bearer's end. Erwin's life would go on relatively unchanged until the baby came, but Levi had to make some pretty dramatic revisions.

"Well, it's not technically going to be nine months," Eren pointed out thoughtfully. "More like seven and a half or eight, if you conceived when we got back from Stohess."

The observation wasn't very comforting to Levi. It was still a long time to live in figurative bubble wrap.

* * *

"Hmm. This isn't coming out at all like the picture on the box."

Erwin puzzled over the instructions he held in his hand, looking between the slip of paper and the object he'd been fooling with for over an hour. It really shouldn't be this complicated, but there were no actual written instructions to go by; just picture diagrams and what came in the box. He'd already had to take apart half of it when he realized he'd put the front part on the wrong way.

Hearing Levi come in through the front door, the mafia boss sighed. He'd wanted to have this finished and set up in the room they were going to make into a nursery before his mate returned home.

"Erwin, are you here?" called Levi.

"In the nursery," answered the alpha.

Erwin heard bags crinkling as Levi put something away in the kitchen, and then the omega joined him in the designated baby's room. Levi stopped and stared at the half-built object Erwin stood over, and then his gaze flicked to the box it had come in.

"Apparently my carpentry skills leave something to be desired," remarked Erwin dryly, a bit embarrassed. "I should have just paid extra to have it pre-assembled and delivered to me."

Levi got a subtly wary look on his face. "It's a little early to be setting up a crib, don't you think? I'm barely into the first trimester, big guy. Lots could go wrong, even in an ordinary pregnancy."

Erwin brushed his hands off on his pants, and he approached the smaller man. Looking him over appreciatively and admiring how nice Levi looked in his gray jeans, white button-up shirt and black boots, he put his hands on the omega's waist and bent down for a kiss hello.

"I have faith in you," he murmured. "You're strong, Levi. You're sensible. You've been taking good care of yourself, and I'm going to help ensure you have everything you need. Besides, I would rather have everything set up too early than wait too long and end up in a mad scramble to get it ready."

Levi nibbled his lower lip, gazing back up at the blond with unusually soft, gray eyes. "I just don't want you to get too emotionally invested in this and end up crushed if it goes wrong."

Erwin stroked his hair, loving him even more for being so worried about disappointing him. "We'll get through this, Levi. I'm sure of it. How did the staff take it when you gave them the news?"

"They were almost as excited as you were," answered Levi, rolling his eyes a little. "I thought a couple of the girls were gonna go ultra-sonic and bust my eardrums. Kenny wasn't so thrilled, though."

"You gave him the check, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but believe it or not, he wasn't as worried about getting paid off as he was about my safety." Levi frowned and shook his head. "Never knew he really gave such a shit, but maybe recent events made him see things a little differently. He made some pretty good points, though."

"Ah, so _that's_ what has you so worked up," reasoned Erwin. "Levi, don't listen to his negativity."

"I wish it were so easy." Levi straightened Erwin's collar, his eyes appearing distant with thought. "Erwin, I need you to accept the fact that this could go south. I'm going to do my damndest to bring this kid into the world, but you need to be prepared in case I can't."

"I realize there's a chance you won't make it to term," explained Erwin softly. He traced Levi's features with his fingertips, including his cute little boop nose. "I'm not delusional, Levi. I simply refuse to let the negative possibilities steal my excitement. I never thought I could be this happy, so let me enjoy it. Whatever happens, we'll deal with it. Until something does go wrong, however, I intend to savor what we have. Does that make sense?"

Levi swallowed, and he nodded. "Yeah, it makes sense. As long as you're not so blinded by the future you're envisioning that you won't be able to handle it if it doesn't work out."

"I'm a practical man, no matter how optimistic I might be feeling," promised the blond. "And on that note, there's something else I need to address."

Erwin stepped back, and he reached into his blazer pocket. He met Levi's eyes as he pulled out a small box and opened it for the omega's inspection. "I should have asked you as soon as I got you home from Stohess, but I had other things on my mind. After that, I started to lose my nerve and the longer I waited, the worse it got. I'm asking you now though, Levi. Marry me."

Levi stared at the set of men's rings resting in the box. "You know that's not really necessary for our kind, right? I mean, we're already pair-bonded, and that's a lot stronger than any vows we could take at the alter."

"I know, but I come from a rather traditional family. If my parents were still alive and they found out that I had gotten an omega pregnant without exchanging wedding vows, they would have a conniption."

Levi slowly plucked the two bands out of the box, examining the matching gold and silver embossed jewelry pieces. He slipped the smaller one onto his own finger, getting a feel for it. "I find it hard to imagine a gangster having such scruples about living out of wedlock, but..."

Levi looked up at Erwin, and the blond held his breath. He braced himself for disappointment, though he couldn't logically see why Levi would turn him down, all things considered.

"I'll do it," Levi said at last, "but I want it to be small. Nothing fancy or too public."

Erwin finally allowed himself to breathe. "Of course. I wouldn't try to make a big event out of it anyway. It would provide too much opportunity for an enemy to take a shot at me, or even you."

He smiled, and he cupped Levi's face in his hands. "Now I have even greater reason to be happy. I know it's a rather outdated practice for people like ourselves, but I'm grateful that you're willing to humor me, Levi."

Levi deftly slid the ring intended for Erwin on the blond's finger, and he pulled Erwin's hand away from his face to see how it looked on him. "Not bad. Now you'll have this on you as well as my scent to let everyone know you're taken. I kind of like that."

Erwin chuckled. Let it never be said that omegas couldn't be just as territorial as alpha's.

* * *

A couple of weeks later, Erwin announced his and Levi's engagement at a party he threw for his associates and underlings in his penthouse. Hange had a rather odd reaction to it. At first she was visibly ecstatic, but then she seemed dismayed. She glanced at Petra, her date for the night, and she whispered something to her. The ginger shook her head and whispered something back, and Hange shrugged. Curious as to what was going on, Erwin asked Hange to step outside on the balcony with him while he enjoyed a cigar. He would usually permit smoking in his home, but with Levi expecting, he didn't want his mate exposed to anyone's smoke or flaunt it in his face. After all, Levi had given up his cloves after finding out he was pregnant, and he was having a tough enough time as it was.

"Hange, is everything all right?" asked Erwin after clipping the end of his cigar and lighting it up. "You had an odd reaction to our news in there."

"Oh, I'm very happy for you," she assured him, smiling. "It's just that I didn't realize this was an engagement party, and well...I had plans to make an announcement of my own tonight."

"Oh?" Erwin blew a smoke ring out into the night air. "What about?"

Hange sighed, leaning over the railing and propping her elbows on it. "I don't want to steal your thunder."

"It's just the two of us out here right now," reasoned Erwin. "Tell me, Hange. Otherwise I'll be wondering all night long."

The alpha woman shrugged, and she pushed her glasses further up her nose. "Petra and I are engaged now, too. We were going to tell everyone, but she said that wouldn't be a good idea right after you've announced your engagement to Levi, and I think she's right. It would be tacky."

Erwin smiled at her. "That's wonderful news, Hange. Congratulations. Have you two set a date?"

"Oh, it won't be for a while, yet. We're going to give it a year and if we're still going strong, we'll marry next January. You and Levi will be hitched long before that, unless you plan on waiting for a bit after the baby comes."

"I think we're going for next month." Erwin took another puff of his cigar, and he sipped his glass of brandy. "I don't want to wait too long and have him waddling down the isle. He would hate that."

Hange chuckled. "Yes, that might be a tad awkward. How funny is this, Erwin? You and I were the last two people in the family I'd have expected to get hitched. I even thought Mike would beat us to the alter."

"You aren't alone in that. Do you have any plans for kids?"

Hange shook her head. "That's going to be up in the air until we make it to the alter and get settled in. Petra wants them some day, but we both know it depends on whether her tubal ligation can be reversed. We may discuss adoption possibilities if it can't, but right now, we're taking it one day at a time."

"I think that's sensible." Erwin glanced over his shoulder through the sliding glass door, and he caught sight of Levi talking with Petra as he sampled some of the onion dip. Erwin started to smile, pleased with the unexpected turn his life had taken. His happy expression immediately dropped when he saw Levi suddenly cover his mouth and hunch over.

"What in the hell?"

Erwin dropped his smoking cigar in the ashtray on the patio table, set his drink down, and yanked open the door to charge inside. Levi was sprinting for the nearest bathroom, knocking into people that didn't move out of his way fast enough. Petra was following behind him, calling out in concern. Eren soon followed when he saw that something was wrong. Erwin ushered the two of them out of the way when he found them blocking his way into the bathroom. Levi was hunched over the toilet, retching up everything he'd recently consumed—including blood.

"L-Levi," Petra cried in alarm, seeing the red splatter in the bowl as Erwin squeezed past her. "Mr. Smith, he's throwing up _blood_!"

Erwin had forgotten in his own concern for his mate that with the exception of Eren and Mikasa, none of the dancers or lower ranking syndicate members knew about Levi's vampirism. It was perfectly understandable for the girl to react that way, but he didn't have time to reassure her. He squatted beside his omega, rubbing his back soothingly as Levi vomited.

"Petra, he's going to be okay," Eren was saying in the background. "It's uh...tomato juice, I think. He had some earlier when we were setting up for the party."

"Yeah," gasped Levi between heaves. "Tomato juice. I just...the onion dip...blarrgh!"

Erwin grimaced helplessly as more came up from Levi's stomach, and he reached for the folded hand towel on the sink to dampen it with cool water. "He's just got some food and smell sensitivity right now," he explained to the people starting to crowd the door. "Everyone just get back and give us room. Levi is okay. Hange, are you out there?"

A tanned arm waved from somewhere behind Oluo. "Right here, Erwin! Guys, move so I can see to my patient!"

People scooted out of the way to let Hange through, and she prudently closed the door behind her after entering the bathroom. She went to Levi's other side, and she checked his temperature as he panted for breath.

"He's a little clammy," she told Erwin, her wine-colored gaze calm but sympathetic. "Levi, what did you eat just before you got the pukes?"

"Onion dip," he answered. His heaving seemed to have eased up, and he leaned against Erwin as the alpha put the cool, damp cloth on the back of his neck. "I used to like onions. Now they don't taste right to me."

"I tried some of that onion dip too," mused Hange. "It tasted fine to me, so I think it's just your pregnancy taste buds giving you grief, dear. It happens."

"So now I've gotta scratch onions off my menu too?" groused Levi miserably. "So far that's olives, snow peas, ground beef and now onions. Fuck."

"Pickles might be a good thing to try," suggested Hange. "You've just got to find something new to satisfy food cravings. By mid-second trimester, your morning sickness should ease up and you should be able to eat a lot of the foods that are giving you trouble, right now. Just try to avoid anything that causes heartburn or an upset tummy, and cut down on the spices."

Levi groaned softly, and Erwin noticed he was looking a little green. "I don't feel good," complained the omega.

Having never seen Levi fuss about it no matter how poorly he felt, even when he was in heat, Erwin's heart went out to him. "Come on, love. I'll take you to our bedroom so that you can lie down and rest."

Levi nodded, for once not trying to downplay how bad he felt. He put his arms around his alpha's neck and allowed Erwin to pick him up. The damp hand towel fell to the floor as Erwin lifted his mate with a little grunt, and he left it where it was. Hange opened the door for them and flushed the toilet, and people moved aside with murmurs of curiosity and worry as the mafia boss carried his ailing omega past them and to the master bedroom.

* * *

"Levi, you need to try and drink."

Levi pushed away the hand holding the cup toward him, mumbling in protest. Erwin had warmed his "tomato juice cocktail" for him, but it didn't help its appeal.

"I'll just puke it back up if I try right now."

Erwin's troubled, handsome face stared down at him from the blond's position at the edge of Levi's side of the bed. "Please try. I know you don't feel good, but you have to keep up your strength."

Levi swallowed, barely keeping down the little bit of ginger ale Hange had convinced him to try sipping. He sat up in the bed and he took the cup from his mate. He tried not to breathe through his nose as he sipped gingerly at the warm, thick liquid. He managed to swallow twice before his stomach rolled again, and he handed the cup back to Erwin with a shake of his head. He grabbed the vomit pan they'd put on the bed next to him, and he held it over the edge of the bed so that he wouldn't soil the sheets as he got sick again.

Erwin sighed as Levi heaved, and he spoke to Hange, standing in the room with them. "All this just from a taste of onion dip? Something doesn't seem right to me."

"Some people suffer chronic nausea during pregnancy," Hange murmured. "Not just the regular morning sickness. I can get him something to help with it so that he can eat. It did come on pretty fast, though. He seemed fine until it struck, and now it seems to have caused a chain reaction like dominos falling down. Poor thing."

"Do whatever you can for him," instructed Erwin. He waited for Levi's vomiting spell to end before taking the pan from him to dump and rinse it out.

"I'll take care of that for you, Erwin," offered Hange. "I'm used to handling body fluids, and I'm sure you'd rather stay by Levi's side. Don't worry about the party; Mike's handling things for you out there."

Erwin nodded, and he helped Levi get comfortable and tucked him in. "Thank you. I'm going to call Kenny. He may have some insight on this that could help, if it's related to Levi being an Ackerman."

"Good idea," approved Hange. "I'll see if I have anything in my medical kit in my car that I can give to him, and if not, I'll rush to the lab to find something for his nausea. Just try to keep him comfortable, Erwin."

* * *

-To be continued


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never thought I'd say this, but Kenny to the rescue! Thanks so much for all the kudos and reviews, everyone!

Kenny had cursed and railed with a vehemence that surprised even him after getting off the phone with Erwin. He almost didn't go over there and just settled for emailing the man his advice, but one look at the old, framed picture of himself and Kuchel as children hanging on his wall weakened his resolve in that matter. By the time he made it across town to Erwin's building, the party had ended and all guests save Hange Zoë were gone. Kenny didn't waste time with small talk when the alpha female answered the door to let him in. He asked where Levi was, and she guided him to the master bedroom.

Levi looked so small to him in that big, king-sized platform bed, curled up against his mate in sleep. Dark shadows rimmed his eyes, and his face was pale even for Levi. Kenny could sense the weakness in him, and it was like revisiting the past.

"Damn it, kid," sighed Kenny, taking off his hat and combing his lean fingers through his long hair. "I was hoping you'd have better luck than your mom did."

Erwin stirred at the sound of the alpha vampire's voice, but Levi remained deeply asleep—probably sedated by Hange. She'd said she gave him medication to combat nausea and help him rest.

"Kenny," murmured Erwin. He was still dressed, save for his shoes and tie. He rubbed his eyes and checked his watch. "Did you just get here?"

"Yeah. Didn't want to crash the party." Kenny frowned at his nephew as Erwin gently pulled away from him and sat up to give some room for the older Ackerman to have a look at him. "What is he now, about two months along?"

"Almost," agreed Erwin. "He was doing well, save for the morning sickness. I don't understand why his condition worsened so quickly in one night."

"I'm surprised it took this long," grumbled Kenny. Hange came into the room, and he gave her a nod as she approached the bed and stood over it to listen to his prognosis. "Guess you're officially his doc now, eh toots?"

Hange nodded. "Both Levi and Eren won't let other doctors touch them, after what they went through with Carver." There was a coldness in her gaze. "I wish I'd been there when they got him out of that holding center. I would have liked to watch him fry, myself. Unfortunately, our Levi may not have the luxury of being so picky with his doctors, eventually. I may need some assistance when the baby comes. He seems to like Moblit well enough, so I suppose that might be enough."

"Sis was picky about who she let doctor her when she was in this pickle, too," recalled Kenny. "She had a couple of buddies with medical backgrounds she trusted, but they didn't have your experience. I guess the runt's luckier in that, at least."

"What can you tell us about his condition?" pressed Erwin, "and why didn't you offer the information sooner?"

"'Cause I was hoping he wouldn't need it like his mother did," excused Kenny, "and I knew you were keeping a hawk's eye on him, Smith. I figured you'd say something if he started tanking, and I was right. Plus, I think I got Levi a little shaken up when he told me he was knocked up. Didn't want to make him worry more without a good reason."

Erwin seemed to accept the answer, though he gave Levi a tired, frustrated look. "It seemed to start after he tried some onion dip at the party. He didn't complain of any nausea before that. Everyone else had some of the same dip, so we don't have any reason to think it was bad."

"Nah, it was probably just a coincidence and timing," guessed Kenny. "I've sent you an email you might want to forward to your girl here. It's got all the details I can remember about when Kuchel went through this, but I figured I'd better come in person, fill you in myself and check things out."

Kenny frowned when he pulled the sheets down a little to have a better look at Levi, and he noticed the glint of the cross dangling from his neck. He quickly reached out and unclasped it, thrusting it blindly toward Hange.

"First off, put this thing away somewhere. He shouldn't be wearing it anymore until after the brat comes."

"Care to enlighten us as to why?" asked Hange, raising her brows. She took the necklace and pocketed it, all the same. "Levi's been wearing crosses without any negative side-effects since we've known him. Don't tell me he's developed a sudden allergy to a symbol!"

"It's mythical," explained Kenny. "Plus, that's silver, isn't it? You saw what silver can do to some vampires."

"But not Ackerman's," reasoned Erwin with a frown.

"Not usually, naw. Something happens when the bearers get pregnant, though. All those mortal perks we Ackerman's usually enjoy have a habit of going away when there's a bun in the oven. I couldn't tell you why; I can only tell ya what I've seen for myself. I'm sure there's some kind of reason for it that dates way back to the stone age, but none of my clan I've ever run into know the history behind it."

"So while he's gestating, Levi has the same vulnerabilities as vampires from other clans?" guessed Hange.

"If he's heading down the same route as his mom, yeah." On that note, Kenny reached out and dimmed the bedside lamp a notch. "He'll be more sensitive to light, especially sunlight. He'll have trouble staying awake during the day and get more restless at night than he already is. Right now the kid's obviously doped up and exhausted, but you can probably expect him to be up 'till dawn hours most nights as his pregnancy progresses."

Kenny stared down at his stricken nephew thoughtfully. "Nearly ever beta Ackerman that's tried to give birth died from it. Some of 'em like my sister made it through birth, but it still gets them in the end. I'm hoping since Levi's an omega like his grandma was, he'll pull through better. That's probably why Carver never found a beta female when he started his quest for an Ackerman breeder, and we all know how rare omegas are, compared to other types."

"How interesting," murmured Hange. "Omegas have always been more fruitful as a rule compared to betas, probably because of their heat cycles. I wonder if the reason for these changes in Levi's tolerances might be because they're required for a vampire to successfully carry to term. You all have blood related deficiencies, and obviously it would take more replacement nutrients of that sort to sustain both mother and child."

Kenny shrugged. "You're the scientist. Like I said; I'm just telling you what I know. If you can find better ways to help Levi out, be my guest."

Erwin stroked his sleeping omega's dark hair. "What else do we need to know?"

"Well, if regular food is starting to make him sick, it might mean his body won't take that kind of sustenance for much longer. He'll probably have to switch to a full liquid diet."

Erwin nodded. "So blood only, should this keep up. Understood. We can ensure he has an abundant supply of that, but I worry about these nausea spells continuing to the point where he can't even consume that."

"Yeah, that's what weakened Kuchel so much," informed Kenny. "She kept getting the pukes and could barely hold anything down."

"Then we'll give it to him intravenously," decided Hange. "If I have to, I'll give him a port or a picc line. We'll play it by ear and see how he does. If it comes to IV use too often, we can consider one of those options to make things easier. We'll get him the blood he needs, one way or the other."

"Thank you, Hange," Erwin said to the woman sincerely. He sighed, and he rubbed his eyes. "I knew this would be difficult on him, but I wasn't anticipating such a drastic struggle. I feel like we're preparing to treat him for cancer."

"It's not all that dissimilar," explained Kenny ominously. "If ya don't stay on top of this, it'll waste him away."

Erwin gazed at Levi's face as he considered the warning. "I'll do whatever it takes."

"Hmph. I've gotta hand it to you, Smith; you're one determined bastard." Kenny grudgingly admitted to himself that Levi stood a better chance of reproducing and living to raise his offspring with someone as devoted as Erwin by his side. Kenny and Kuchel's mother had the same fortune in her mate, and it was largely why they'd grown up knowing both of their parents.

_~Maybe your brat's gonna make it through this after all, Kuchel. Sucks that you won't be around to see your grandkid if he does, but at least it's got a chance to be born and Levi's got a chance to see it grow up. That ought to make you happy.~_

Thoughts of his sister reminded Kenny of something else. "Oh yeah, watch out for sleep-walking."

Erwin gave him a puzzled look.

"Kuchel sometimes did it," explained Kenny, "and that's pretty fucking dangerous during daylight hours with a vulnerability to sunlight. Make sure ya keep Levi locked up while he's sleeping, and keep someone on watch if you're not around to do it. This'll be a real short pregnancy if the runt wanders out into daylight and fries himself, Smith."

Erwin grimaced. "He's been having headaches during the day. I've noticed that sunlight seems to bother him more than usual lately, but he keeps insisting it's nothing. He did take some over the counter migraine medication a couple of days ago, too. Damn it, I wish you'd have told us about this sooner, Kenny."

Kenny grumbled under his breath. He wished he had too, but now they knew. "He won't burst into flames the minute a little sunshine strikes him. It's not as bad as other vampires, but if he stays out in it long enough, he'll get some nasty blisters and it could eventually kill him. Just don't let that happen. Keep the blinds drawn during the day, keep the room dark while he's sleeping. He'll be fine if you're just diligent about it."

"And I will be," promised Erwin. "Is there anything else?"

"Yeah, don't feed him after midnight."

Both of them stared at Kenny, and he smirked dryly and shrugged. "Kidding."

"Okay then." Hange had retrieved her tablet from the dresser top she'd set it down on, and she was starting to take notes on it. "What about activities? Any safe exercises you can recommend?"

"No idea," confessed Kenny. "Kuchel was too weak to do any exercises. Levi might do better. I'd say just use common sense and don't let him do anything ya wouldn't want any other pregnant person to do."

"Makes sense," muttered Hange. "I can research that subject and come up with a list of activities he can try, if and when he feels up to it. I'll base it on high risk pregnancies, so I don't expect to find much. Levi isn't going to be happy about the restrictions, but he may not have much energy to object anyways."

"Welp, that's about all I can give you," Kenny said, giving Levi one last glance before picking up his hat and replacing it on his head. "Sun's coming up soon and I need some rest myself, so I'll leave you to it. Check your email, Erwin. I've scribbled all the bulletpoints down for reference."

"I will." Erwin hesitated briefly. "Thank you for your help."

It mustn't have been easy for Erwin to thank him like that. An alpha's pride in his ability to protect what was his was powerful, and Erwin had swallowed his for Levi's sake when he realized he needed help. "Must be love," said Kenny. He tipped the brim of his hat toward the other alpha male. "Just try to keep him alive, Smith."

* * *

Levi was tired. Not just physically exhausted, but emotionally fed up. It seemed to him like he'd spent more time doped up or puking since shit started with Carver and Pinchet than anything else. He started to mentally count how many times he'd tossed his cookies from the day he and Kenny set out to infiltrate the compound until now, and the numbers made him shake his head. He opened his eyes with a soft, hoarse little profanity, simply fed up with it.

The bedroom was dark; the blinds and curtains securely closed and the lamps out. It was a comfortable darkness, shadowed but not oppressive. It felt like daytime to Levi, and when he heard some pigeons cooing somewhere outside, he rolled over to look at the clock on the bedside table at Erwin's side of the bed.

"Wow, two fifteen," he mumbled.

That was rather late in the day even for him. No matter how late he stayed up, he was usually out of bed by noon and making his plans for the day. Not that he had very much to worry about. Since he'd quit dancing, he usually only spent an hour or two on average at the club, going over monthly budgets, working on the schedules and calculating payroll. Kenny took care of maintenance upkeep, assigning private dances and organizing escort dates and VIP events. So far they'd been working pretty well together and keeping everything tight.

Levi sat up slowly, bracing himself for nausea. While he felt a little shaky and light-headed, his stomach blessedly didn't heave. He glanced over at his bedside table to find the clean sickness pan waiting there just in case. Levi stretched his stiff muscles, pulled the covers aside and carefully got out of bed. He made his side of it, and he realized something felt like it was missing. Reaching up, he touched his throat to find that his necklace—the one Erwin had bought for him to replace his old one—was gone. They must have taken it off of him last night sometime while they were fussing over him.

"I screwed up the party," Levi whispered with a frown. Erwin had gone through so much trouble inviting all those people to it and setting things up. The bill for the champagne and liquor alone made Levi wince, but Erwin had been determined to have a nice engagement party since their wedding would be so hush-hush and private.

Annoyed with himself, Levi went to the nearest window to let some light in and check the weather. He pulled the curtains open and tugged the vertical blinds to one side. He was immediately blinded by the afternoon sunlight, even though the day was overcast.

" _Fuck_!"

Levi backed away, covering his eyes with his forearms. He squinted over the top of them, trying to look outside through his suddenly watering eyes. It didn't really seem much brighter to him outside than usual, but lately, he needed more time to adjust to the light. Maybe exposing himself to it so abruptly was a stupid move.

The door to the bedroom swung open, and Levi turned around to find Erwin hurrying in with a worried look on his comely face. Dressed in casual attire comprising of black jeans, a light blue polo shirt and a pair of gray sneakers, it was probably the most underdressed Levi had ever seen him outside the bedroom or gym.

"Levi." Erwin approached him, got between the omega and the window, and he closed the blinds and curtains. He looked back at the confused vampire once he had the room dimmed in shadow again. "Stay away from the windows."

"What the hell's going on?" demanded Levi, perplexed. "Has someone put a hit out on you or something? Is that why you're home at this hour, dressed like that?" Not that Erwin didn't look good in the outfit. Levi thought the man could make a trash bag look fashionable.

"Not at all," assured Erwin, looking him up and down as he turned back around to face him in full. "How do you feel? Did you just wake up?"

"I'm a little weak in the knees and thirsty, but I guess I'm okay." Levi lowered his arms, and he tilted his head curiously. "Yeah, I just woke up. Are you gonna tell me what's going on?"

"I'm working from home today," explained Erwin. "And you should stay away from the windows because the light obviously pains you."

"Oh."

Levi didn't try to deny that the daylight had caused him some pain. His head was already starting to throb from the shock of it. He sat down on the bed, trying to get his bearings. Erwin sat down next to him and put an arm around him. Levi looked at his mate's profile, admiring it.

"Sorry I spoiled the party last night with my drama."

Erwin kissed him on the temple. "You didn't spoil anything, Levi. The party was still a success...but it was the night before last, not last night."

"What? Are you saying I've been out for two days?"

"Nearly, yes." Erwin met his eyes. "You did come out of it a bit last evening, but you started vomiting again. Hange medicated you again to bring it back under control. She gave you a blood transfusion and glucose when it became apparent that you weren't going to be able to feed or hydrate yourself. This is the most lucid you've been since then."

"Damn. I had no idea." Levi sighed, and he put his hand to his belly. "Did four-eyes check on our brat? Is it okay?"

Erwin laid a hand over the one Levi had on his stomach. "The baby is fine. I need to explain some things to you though, Levi. It's become obvious that there are some things you didn't know to expect with this pregnancy, and your uncle came and cleared a lot of it up for us. You need to know all of it, even if it brings back bad memories of losing your mother."

"I barely remember her," sighed Levi. "Go ahead. If it's going to help me carry this kid to term, I want to hear it."

Erwin explained everything Kenny had told him while Levi was unconscious. None of it really came as a big surprise to the omega, save the part about him developing an aversion to crosses. That part, he had trouble accepting. He'd worn crosses most of his life, and while he was fond of them and he knew they could repel other vampires, he really only thought of them as a symbol.

"I don't get it," he sighed at last once his mate finished giving him the run-down.

"Which part?" asked Erwin gently.

Levi couldn't help but smirk at him. The big blond tree was trying so hard to be supportive and attentive. Had someone told him Erwin could be this way back when they first met, Levi would have laughed in their faces.

"The part about the crosses. How can someone get allergic to a fucking symbol all the sudden? I think I'd like to test that theory. The silver and sunlight intolerance I can understand, and as disgusting as the thought of living solely on blood for the rest of the pregnancy is, I get that too. Not sure I believe the cross thing, though. Where's the one you gave me? I want to try this out."

Erwin hesitated. "It troubles you that much to be averted to crosses for a while?"

"It's just illogical," insisted Levi. "The older clans have some kind of...I dunno...ancestral memory they share, I guess. It dates back to the dark ages, when there were supposedly vampire hunters out there. My clan isn't that old, from what little my grandparents were able to pass down to my mother and uncle. We've never had any reason to be afraid of crosses. Unless there's some connection way back to the old clans that gets stronger during pregnancy or unless we're carrying a kid sired by someone from another clan, I don't see how..."

Levi trailed off. "Erwin, bring me the cross."

"What are you thinking, Levi?"

Levi didn't want to say it. He needed to confirm it, first. "Just bring it to me."

* * *

As requested, Erwin brought the silver cross to Levi despite his misgivings. He opened up the little box he'd put it into, and he picked up the necklace by the chain and dangled it before his mate, closely watching his reactions. Levi started to reach for it, but hesitated. It was almost like a magnetic repulsion. He couldn't seem to bring himself to touch it, and the omega finally looked away with a flat expression.

"Put it away."

Erwin replaced the cross in its box, and he put it back in the desk drawer in his office where he'd been keeping it. He came back to find Levi practically sulking, and he sat down beside him again. Erwin's gaze flicked to the smaller man's pale, bare chest. He could see the faint outline of where the cross had last lain against Levi's skin, as well as the mark around his neck where the chain had rested. Seeing how troubled Levi was, an idea came to him. Erwin looked around at the flowers and cards decorating surfaces in their bedroom, left by Levi's friends as "get well" gifts.

"Levi, there's another test we could try out."

Levi looked at him dully. It was like he'd just lost hope in something, finding out that he couldn't touch his own cross. "What is it?"

"Just a moment. I'll be right back."

Erwin got up and left the room again, returning to his home office to search through the same drawer he'd placed the silver cross in for safe-keeping. He found the box he was looking for, and he returned to his mate. He opened it up, hopeful but anticipating another bad reaction.

"What about this one? Petra wanted to get you replacement earrings for the ones you lost, but she got this instead when I told her that you've developed a metal allergy. She knows how fond of crosses you are, so she purchased this when she saw it. I didn't have the heart to turn it down, but perhaps we won't need to make up an excuse as to why you won't wear it."

Levi stared at the carved wooden cross resting in the box, attached to a leather necklace. It was a pretty piece, hand-carved by a local artist out of ebony wood and etched with knotwork. A deep green resin bead crowned the leather loop threaded through the hole at the top of it. Levi kept staring at it for a moment, and then he reached for it. He picked it up carefully, and then he rubbed its surface between his fingertips. The almost despairing look faded from his eyes, his expression softening as he slipped the necklace on over his head and adjusted it.

"It's fine," Levi said when Erwin looked at him questioningly. "It doesn't bother me. It was the metal, not the symbol."

While Erwin wished he had been the one to come up with the idea, he was relieved. At least Levi could still have this one small thing that had been a part of his life for so long, and it really didn't matter who it came from, as long as it brought the omega some comfort.

"Good, then we've established the theory about crosses was incorrect, at least." Erwin smiled. He kissed Levi softly on the lips. "Do you think you can eat or drink, Levi?"

The pale gaze went immediately to Erwin's throat, and Levi licked his lips hungrily. "I...shit, let's take it slow. I'll try some from the reserve stash first. I don't want to drink from you again until I know it'll stay down. I won't waste your blood that way."

* * *

Levi waited until Erwin left the room again, and then he let out a sigh. He blamed Kenny for his recent panic. The man had planted the idea that Carver might have somehow managed to fertilize Levi while he had him on the table. Up until he found himself repulsed by his own necklace, Levi didn't believe that was possible and he'd been sure the baby he was carrying was Erwin's. Debating over the reasons why he would suddenly have an aversion to crosses led his thoughts down the path that perhaps the life inside of him was part Carver, and that could be why he might have developed that instinctive reaction.

Now he knew that wasn't the case, though. Levi supposed he ought to be a little grateful to his uncle for coming over and helping figure out what he should avoid and how he could best take care of himself. Kenny had shown more interest in his situation than Levi ever would have expected of him. It still didn't change the fact that his twisted suggestion had an influence on Levi's thinking and got him worrying that he might be wrong about who the father of his child was.

"Here you are," Erwin said with a smile, returning to the bedroom with a cocktail glass, complete with a little paper umbrella. "I added some lemon to it. You seemed to like that, the last time."

Levi's jaw fell open.

_~This guy...is starting to go overboard with the pampering.~_

"You serious?" Levi said aloud, taking the warmed, thick drink from his mate.

"Why not?" Erwin shrugged. "If I can make it a little more pleasant for you, I don't see the problem. You can pretend it's a Bloody Mary."

Levi looked into the glass, and he shrugged. He supposed it did look like a thick cocktail or tomato juice. That was the excuse Eren had made the other night when Levi got sick and Petra started freaking out over seeing the blood he was tossing up. He glanced at his mate as he sipped cautiously at it. The taste _was_ better than what he was used to. Levi couldn't be sure if it was because it came from a fresher batch, or if it was because his needs were shifting away from solids and more to blood. Either way, it was easier than expected to do as Erwin suggested and pretend it was one of his favorite cocktail mixes.

"Not bad," commented Levi after draining the glass. He handed it back to Erwin, and he smirked at him. "You're inventive, if a little weird sometimes."

* * *

Later that night when Levi was sure he wasn't going to get sick from it, he took Erwin's offer to feed on him. He did it in a most pleasant way, as always. They showered together after Erwin had a brief meeting with Mike and some dinner, and then they retired to the bedroom with the necessary first aid items to doctor the bite wounds once Levi drank his fill. Removing their bathrobes, the couple sat down naked on the bed together and kissed for a while, and Erwin tilted his head to the side when Levi pressed against his jaw in silent demand.

At first, the omega didn't sink his teeth in right away. He sniffed at Erwin's neck where the scent glands were located, and he sighed with appreciation. "Mmm, the smell of you is making me hard."

Erwin glanced down to see the evidence supporting Levi's claim. He was getting hard himself, of course. He stroked his hands over the smaller man's strong, narrow shoulders. He started to touch his chest, but Levi stopped him.

"Not right now," insisted Levi. "I'm sensitive there and you already made me come in the shower, playing with those."

Erwin grinned. "But I like playing with those." He eyed the tempting, pink nipples with more than a passing interest. They were definitely more sensitive then usual, and that was saying something for Levi. The omega already reacted strongly to stimulation there before getting pregnant.

"Oi, do I need to bind your wrists behind your back?" Levi smacked Erwin's hands away when the alpha started reaching for the targets of subject.

Erwin cleared his throat, and he dutifully dropped his hands flat on the surface of the bed. "If you wish."

Levi studied him silently for a moment, crossing his arms over his chest almost protectively. It made Erwin laugh. His little love was still embarrassed over reaching completion so quickly and easily just from having his nipples teased a little.

"All right, you can stop laughing at me, asshole," groused Levi. "Now that you mention it, maybe a little restraint isn't a bad idea."

Levi scooted to the edge of the bed and got off of it, glancing back at Erwin as he started for the dresser where he kept his ties. "You want silk or cotton?"

"Your choice." Erwin was fighting amusement on top of his arousal, and he let his gaze caress Levi's nudity appreciatively. He thought he could detect the slightest hint of extension around Levi's lower abdomen, softening the toned flatness of his waistline. With the realization that his mate was possibly starting to show his condition outside of tenderness and a little swelling around the nipples, Erwin experienced a little thrill. They'd need to start shopping for male maternity clothes soon. It dawned on him that Levi had stopped wearing belts with his jeans over the past few days. They were getting close to passing the first trimester mark.

He said nothing about the observation, quietly waiting while his mate selected one of his ties to use for the encounter. Inwardly, Erwin was calculating the passage of time and reviewing the research he'd done on male omega pregnancy. It wouldn't be long before Levi's condition became obvious to the casual observer. That was oddly arousing to him, knowing that people would see his omega and know he was swelling with the offspring Erwin had helped create. He blamed it on his alpha territorial instincts. His cock swelled further, and by the time Levi had a dark, blue-striped tie in his hands, Erwin was at full mast.

Levi gave a pointed look at Erwin's goods as he returned to the bed, and he smirked. "Someone seems excited about getting his hands tied behind his back."

"Perhaps."

Erwin smirked back at him, choosing not to reveal more. Levi would probably call him a pervert and accuse him of fetishizing his pregnancy. It wasn't that Erwin found the condition in itself to be inherently sexually exciting though. He could say with all honesty that he'd never looked at other pregnant people and thought it was hot. Cute at times, yes. He would open doors for expecting bearers of both genders out of courtesy, would give up a seat on a full subway or bus for someone that was obviously expecting, just like he would for the elderly or infirm, but never before had he looked at pregnancy as arousing. Again, he thought it had to do with his alpha nature and the fact that this was his mate slowly transforming as time went by as a result of their bond. It also helped that Levi was so damned sexy and attractive, of course, but Erwin was a little biased.

"Hands behind your back," stated Levi authoritatively. "Sit forward so I can secure you, giant."

Erwin obligingly did as he was told, crossing his wrists together at the small of his back. He waited until Levi had the makeshift binding secured to his liking, testing it when asked to be sure he couldn't easily slip free.

"Not too tight?" asked Levi.

Erwin shook his head. "It's fine."

Levi, he'd learned, was pretty good at tying people up without cutting off their circulation. It wouldn't be the first time they'd played like this, and it wasn't likely to be the last.

Apparently satisfied, Levi climbed back onto the bed, got in front of Erwin and straddled him until their dicks were pressed together. Now just as hard as Erwin, the omega combed his fingers through his mate's damp hair, mussing it further.

"You look good like this," whispered Levi seductively. "tied up, freshly washed, less than immaculate. I like it."

"Maybe I should pick a day or two a week to go without styling my hair, then." Erwin kissed the smaller man on the chin, and then he nibbled the pouty bottom lip.

"Hmm. Maybe you should," agreed Levi.

He tugged on Erwin's hair, urging his head to the side. When the alpha tilted it, Levi kissed the side of his throat, sniffed around for just the right spot, and then sank his fangs in. His hold on Erwin's hair gentled as he began to suck, his fingers again sifting through the blond locks. Erwin closed his eyes, letting the now familiar sensations wash over him from the pleasure of the exchange. Levi's other hand stroked Erwin's chest and lower. Erwin purred with approval when it found his arousal and curled around it. He briefly regretted that his hands weren't free, because he would have loved to return his mate's fondling. Levi evidently wanted full control, however, and he was doing a fabulous job of making this a good experience for Erwin.

Levi took his time with it, having only shallowly punctured with his fangs. He seemed to savor the taste of Erwin's blood, because he never tended to drink quickly from him. As was his habit, he made soft, pleased little sounds in his throat that to the blond's ears, sounded both sensual and sweet. His hand slowly stroked Erwin's length, his thumb smearing the precum over the tip occasionally. Erwin's breath quickened and his stomach tightened. A flush spread over his face and he moaned Levi's name as it went on.

Levi took his hand out of Erwin's hair, scooted back a little and reached down to fondle the sack beneath the alpha's shaft. Erwin started to tense up, his biceps bulging as he strained against the binding on his wrists. His breath came in labored gasps, his lips spilling Levi's name raggedly. The omega started jerking him off faster, sucking a little harder on the puncture he'd made in his neck. Levi started gyrating, rubbing his dick against Erwin's and his own stroking hand, slicking his own precum against it to mingle with the blond's.

"Ah, hell," groaned Erwin, at the end of his rope. His ass flexed, his hips jerked and he spurted in his mate's insistent grip.

Levi let up, licking the bite mark and releasing Erwin's balls. He kissed the alpha deeply as he reached for the wet wipes to clean up the mess, and Erwin could taste the subtle tang of his own blood in Levi's mouth. Gasping with release, he let the smaller man clean him up and see to his fresh bite.

Levi sat back to examine his handiwork once he finished, and he tossed the soiled cleaning and sterile wipes he'd used in the wastepaper basket by the bed. "You okay, big guy?"

Erwin opened his eyes to look at him, and he had to just stare for a minute. The blush of color in Levi's cheeks from renewed nutrients and arousal made him look beautiful to him, and the gray eyes were half-lidded and satisfied.

"More than," agreed Erwin. His knees were cramping a little from his legs being folded beneath him though, and his balance was compromised with his hands still tied behind his back.

"Here, I'll get this off you," offered Levi, shimmying around behind him to untie his wrists.

Once his hands were free, Erwin turned, caught the omega around the waist and lifted him a little.

"Hey," gasped Levi, taken by surprise by the move.

He didn't protest beyond that when Erwin bore him down onto his back and eased down on top of him, careful not to put his full weight on him. The omega's pale gaze softened as Levi stared up at him, and Erwin lowered his mouth to his for a lingering kiss.

"Now that you've had your way," murmured Erwin against those soft lips, "can I have mine?"

"You've already made me come," reminded Levi, though his cock throbbed greedily against Erwin's stomach.

Erwin chuckled. "So you think one orgasm is all you get from me? Shame on you."

Erwin kissed his way down Levi's throat, rubbing against him as he went to mark him with his scent. The smaller man squirmed, breath catching in reaction to the alpha pheromones. Erwin looked up at his face as he got to Levi's chest and circled the left nipple with the tip of his tongue. Levi bit his bottom lip. His fingers dug into Erwin's broad shoulders as the blond started to tease the target with his tongue and lips. Levi gasped and trembled as Erwin gave the left nipple a suck, and then transferred his attention to the right one. His body tightened up beneath the bigger man, and a low whimper arose in his throat.

"Er...win...makes me feel funny," quavered Levi.

What a virginal thing for a man with Levi's experience to say. It was rather cute, and Erwin smiled around the bud he was pleasuring. He slid his hand between Levi's quivering thighs and located his now dripping arousal. So hard, so wet. His little mate was producing an exceptional amount of precum, and Erwin wanted more. He wanted the bedsheets to get absolutely soaked with Levi's cum and slick, by the time he finished with him. Erwin's groin started to tighten again, but he ignored it. He wasn't going to have intercourse with Levi until Hange could assure him without question that it wouldn't harm him or the baby. They hadn't discussed it yet, but Erwin thought that it could fall under the category of strenuous activities Levi needed to avoid.

That didn't mean he couldn't bring him to completion through gentler means, though.

"Erwin...Erwin! Y-you bastard..." Levi started tossing his head, pushing weakly at the alpha's shoulders as Erwin continued sucking and licking at his nipples, his hand busily pumping up and down his length.

Deciding he wanted more, Erwin tricked Levi briefly into thinking he was going to show him mercy and comply with his pleas. He stopped teasing his chest with his mouth, only to shimmy further down on the bed, push Levi's thighs far apart and take his flushed cock into his mouth. Erwin used to wonder why his omega sometimes objected to being gratified after he'd taken care of Erwin's needs, but now he thought he understood. The little demon was competitive, plain and simple. Levi wanted to be the last one to give his partner and orgasm on some days, and it ruined his "score sheet" when Erwin reciprocated.

Of course, Erwin was known for being a competitive man himself, and he was used to winning. His head bobbed faster, and he turned it this way and that to take his mate down his throat at different angles. Over the sound of the sucking and slurping noises Levi's voice rose with desperation. The omega's hips rolled impulsively even as Levi practically begged Erwin to stop, and the brunet's pushing turned into a desperate grip on Erwin's shoulders, contradicting his verbal objections. Erwin reached up to flick at Levi's nipples with the pads of his fingers, one at a time.

Back arching, body shaking, Levi moaned the alpha's name, finally losing all objections as the pleasure overwhelmed him. Erwin shifted a little so that he could still support his weight on one arm and reach Levi's entrance at the same time. He teased the sensitive pucker, his finger gliding in a circular motion over the slippery flesh before easing in just past the first knuckle. He felt it clench tightly around the digit, and Erwin took Levi's cock deep down his throat and started swallowing.

The gush of his partner's release was gratifying to Erwin, and he took every last drop of it. More slick dribbled out around Erwin's finger, and he kept it in there so that he could feel every spasmodic squeeze.

"Fuck," panted Levi when he could find his voice again.

Erwin let Levi's cock slide out of his mouth, removed his finger and stretched out beside the other man with a smug little grin on his face. He couldn't resist teasing him. "That's two for Erwin and one for Levi."

The silvery eyes flicked toward him, and that vampiric glow briefly lit them up. "Oi, there's no fucking score sheet, you ass."

Erwin found Levi's attempt to pretend ignorance amusing. "Isn't there? You became so frustrated when I refused to go to sleep without returning the favor."

"You've got payback coming," promised Levi, "soon as I catch my breath."

Erwin laughed. "I thought you weren't keeping score?" He kissed the tip of Levi's nose, and he put an arm around him to draw him close. "But tomorrow is a new day. You can 'pay me back' then. I may even let you win the game."

Levi smacked Erwin on the side of the ass. "Quit talking about it like we're bowling or something, and I'm giving you payback tonight, not tomorrow. That way we'll be at least tied."

Erwin's laughter increased, and he kissed Levi's forehead. "You just contradicted yourself, you know. Relax, love; I'm just teasing you. I'm serious about saving more for tomorrow, though. You need your rest. I'm well-satisfied, so there's no need for you to stay awake trying to 'one up' me on the number of orgasms we give to each other."

Levi pulled back a little to look at him. "Maybe I think it'd be selfish of me to get off more times than you; especially since you've been cooped up taking care of me for the past two days."

Erwin sobered at that, and his eyes softened on Levi as his heart was warmed by his statement. "I think that's very sweet of you, but not necessary. Taking care of you isn't a burden to me, but a privilege. I want you in my life for as long as possible, and I want to see our child born. You may have to do all of the work biologically, but it's my responsibility as the father to keep you both safe and healthy. That's what a real man does for his family. That's how I was raised."

Levi blushed a little, averting his gaze. "You're a lot sappier than you used to be."

Erwin smiled. "My situation has changed since then. Now, let's stop arguing over who won sex points tonight. I can just imagine my security guards overhearing some of it and wondering what sort of couple we are."

"You've got security guards?" Levi frowned. "Where? Inside the penthouse? I didn't see any."

"They stayed outside in the corridor to give us privacy, until I sent a text letting them know that we're retiring to bed for the night," explained Erwin. "Don't be so surprised, Levi. They'll keep watch in the main part of the apartment through the night, and they'll be relieved of their shift in the morning. I've kept two guards on duty at all times since the party. They just know to stay out of the way as much as possible, but I'm not leaving anything to chance with you in this condition. The main threat might be eliminated, but I still have enemies."

Levi sighed. "Yeah, makes sense. I guess you can't just rely on regular building security in your position."

"If you find you can't sleep, don't feel like you can't move around freely in our own home, Levi," advised Erwin. "The guards more or less stay in the security room where the monitors are, with the exception of when they need to use the bathroom I've designated for them. You might not even see them in passing if you wake up in the night and leave the bedroom. I'm sorry it has to be this way, but this is the price of my lifestyle."

Levi shrugged. "As long as they aren't breathing down my neck, I guess I can live with that. I'd rather be safe than sorry anyway."

Erwin kissed him. "Thank you for being practical and understanding."

* * *

-To be continued


	26. Chapter 26

Things had finally settled down in their lives. It took Armin a bit longer, after having planned out an elaborate arrangement with Erwin's help so that he could give his employers, friends, coworkers and families an explanation for his disappearance that wouldn't require mention of Erwin's syndicate or Levi and Eren's involvement. Erwin made arrangements with the chief of police for Armin to be picked up by his grandfather at the police station. The story was that Armin got caught at the wrong place at the wrong time, and when national law enforcement raided the compound he was being held in, they brought him back to Trost upon identifying him. Pixis even made a statement on the news backing it up, assuring that the missing school teacher had been found during the raid and was in good health.

After that, the most complicated part was talking about his ordeal without going too heavily into the details of what really happened. Armin didn't outright lie to anyone, but he carefully picked out which parts they needed to know, and he reassured people that he hadn't been mistreated beyond getting a little beaten up in the struggle when the kidnappers showed up. They weren't after him, but his student. He wouldn't give anyone the name of the student or details about them, telling them he wanted to respect the guy's privacy and all they needed to know was that he was okay.

Now he was in an unusual sort of poly relationship with Eren and Mikasa; something that the three of them kept from advertising more for the sake of Armin's career than anything else. As far as people knew, Armin was dating two people casually, with no immediate plans to settle down. Some of his coworkers expressed faint disapproval, but there was no rule against teachers going on dates with more than one person, so long as public behavior remained appropriate, everyone was of age, nobody was committing adultery and they weren't coworkers.

Armin was typing furiously at his laptop when Eren came out of the blond's bathroom, wearing a towel around his neck from drying his hair and a pair of pajama bottoms. The dancer approached the little desk his host was sitting at, and he bent over and leaned in to give Armin a kiss of greeting on the cheek. Armin smiled, paused in his typing and turned his head to give Eren one back on the lips. He cast an admiring glance at his guest, flushing a little as his mind replayed all they'd done together the night before. Eren was a generous and versatile lover, willing to take on either role in the bedroom, eager to please and be pleased himself.

"What are you working on?" asked Eren, rubbing his cheek affectionately against the blond's. "A new lesson plan? Grading some tests?"

Distracted by his lover's nearness and sweet, loving actions, Armin decided to take a break. He turned his swivel chair around to face the omega, and he cupped Eren's hips familiarly. "No, I've been researching. A lot, actually. Once I started making some headway, I got so heavily into it that I've been spending most of my spare time on it. I haven't neglected you, have I?"

"No way." Eren shook his head, and he cupped the back of Armin's head to press the blond's cheek against his exposed abs. "Mikasa and I are both happy with whatever time you can spare for us. Even if I would say something to you right away, you know _she'd_ let you know if you didn't pay enough attention to her."

Armin relaxed. "That's true."

Eren looked over Armin's head at his computer screen. "So what are you researching? You can tell me it's none of my business. I'm just curious."

Armin reluctantly pulled away, turning around to scroll up on the document he'd been typing up. "The Ackerman family lineage."

Eren tilted his head and peered at the screen, bending over Armin from behind to have a better look. "Wow, really? Why? Just interested in Mika's background?"

Armin shook his head. "No. Well yes, but that's not what got me started on this. When Levi started having problems with his pregnancy and I realized nobody really knows much about their clan's roots, I thought it might help if I could find some history on them. He put himself in serious danger just to find us, Eren. I want to repay his efforts somehow. Mr. Smith's, too. I thought if I could find anything that might help shed some light on why the Ackerman vampires have such trouble reproducing, it could help them manage Levi's symptoms better."

"Oh. That's really kind of genius, Armin. I don't think anyone's really thought of that. I know Miss Hange's been trying to dig up any past medical history she can of Levi's relatives, but she says it's like groping around in the dark because most of the Ackermans with any official medical history are ordinary humans. You should tell her about this idea!"

"Oh, I plan to," Armin assured him, "and I think I may have come across the right leads to find an authentic, factual path of origin that might explain why the Ackermans are so different from other vampires. I don't know about Kenny, but Levi and Mikasa have no aversion to crosses. She has that ring she likes to wear on her middle index finger, and he always wore the pendant and earring. From what I understand, no vampires from any of the other clans can come in direct contact with a cross without some negative reaction, whether it just makes them sick, burns them or repulses them. Obviously there's some logical explanation behind that aversion that I'm still working on discovering, but the fact of the matter is, Ackermans don't suffer any ill effects from crosses."

Eren nodded. "And they can go out in the sunlight and aren't bothered by silver. Uh, except Levi, now since his pregnancy symptoms started showing up."

"Exactly." Armin turned back around to face Eren. "I think with enough patience and researching, we can find the answers to all of that."

"So what'd you find that you think explains some of it?"

Armin sighed. "I would love to go over it with you, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. I need to do more fact checking to ensure I'm providing viable information, and not just chasing legends. Once I'm at least ninety percent certain that the information I've found is more fact than fiction, I'd like to sit down with everyone it's pertinent to and discuss it."

"I'm not sure what 'pertinent' means," admitted Eren. "Would I be on the list?"

Armin smiled at him. He loved how willing Eren was to ask questions and learn things, and how honest he was about being ignorant of some things. "It means 'relevant', and yes, you would be on the list of people I want to discuss it with. You're dating Mika, and Levi is like an older brother to you. That makes it your business."

Eren smiled in that shy way of his. "Cool. Who else?"

"Well, the obvious would be our three Ackerman's. Erwin as well, since he's Levi's mate, and Hange, because she's directly involved in his medical care. Those are the only people that need to know these details, if I manage to pull them together into some cohesive format."

"You lost me again at the last part."

Armin chuckled. "It just means I need to fit as many pieces of the puzzle together as I can, and in accurate order. If I just throw the bits I've collected so far at them right now, it's going to be a jumble. There's a timeline to go along with the events in this history."

"Oh, I think I see now." Eren smiled bashfully at him, looking absurdly innocent for a guy that took his clothes off for money. "Sorry you had to hit me over the head with it for me to get it."

Armin laughed. He found it so easy to laugh around Eren, even after the ordeal they'd been through together. He cupped the back of Eren's head and drew him down for a deep, lingering kiss. As the omega's tongue fenced with his, Armin felt his pants getting tight. He broke the kiss and gazed into Eren's vivid, gold-flecked green eyes.

"I hate to sound greedy," whispered the blond, "but would it be too soon to request a repeat performance from last night?"

Eren grinned wolfishly at him, and his eyes lit up. "Are you kidding? It's never too soon for me, babe."

Armin returned his grin. God, he loved omega sex drives.

* * *

Levi was more than a little frustrated. He couldn't for the life of him find the pants that were still loose enough to fit him. Now that he was officially in his second trimester, all of his jeans were getting too tight. He hadn't had the chance to shop for maternity wear yet, thanks to his inability to be out in the sun for more than a few moments at a time. Petra had promised to measure his waistline and do his shopping for him, since he told her he'd developed a sunlight allergy as well as a silver intolerance. She'd been very sympathetic, and Levi thought that perhaps his plight had curbed her growing baby fever. On the plus side, he was doing much better than he had been in the beginning, and Hange had given the okay for him and Erwin to have sex as long as it wasn't too vigorous.

"Fuck, where are those bastards?" he snarled after digging through his pants drawer for about the fifth time.

"What's wrong, Levi?" Erwin had come into the room, and the blond stopped with raised eyebrows as yet another pair of jeans went sailing in a random direction. "Er...it isn't like you to toss clothes around at random. Can I help?"

"No," sighed Levi. He paused, and he rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "I've got one pair of pants that still fits right, and I can't find them. I've got my first ultrasound to get to and I can't fucking show up in nothing but a shirt and underwear."

Erwin smiled patiently at him. He approached the squatting omega and offered a hand up to him. "I doubt Hange would even blink, if you did. Try to relax. Stressing so much over some pants isn't good for you or the baby."

Levi accepted his mate's help, and he rubbed the slight swell of his tummy as he got to his feet. He was now almost in his second trimester, and he was shocked and a bit appalled by how quickly his stomach was starting to expand. He'd gone from having a washboard stomach and a six-pack to gaining a little baby paunch overnight, it seemed. Tonight might be the night when they discovered the gender of their baby, and Levi was uncommonly anxious about it. Not that it really mattered to him, but if they were having a girl, the chances of her being an omega type were at least doubled. He really didn't like the thought of his child having to deal with heats on top of dealing with vampirism.

"I'm sure your pajama pants will be fine," Erwin soothed, pulling Levi into a loose embrace and rubbing his back. "Hange isn't going to care. Her main concern is that you have as healthy a pregnancy as possible."

"Yeah, but people are bound to see me, even if it's just for a moment when I walk into the clinic," reasoned Levi with a frown. At least the wedding was out of the way. They'd taken their vows just days ago, right there in Erwin's penthouse with only the syndicate members and club staff as witnesses. Levi examined his ring, unable to help himself. He quite liked the design Erwin had picked for their wedding bands, and he'd never pictured himself actually wearing one some day.

"Let them see," reasoned Erwin with a little smile. "If people have issues with seeing a man in jogging pants, it's their problem. This appointment is more important than the opinions of strangers."

Levi pressed his face into the taller man's chest, and he gave Erwin's muscular butt a possessive squeeze. He was getting horny again. This pregnancy was turning him into a nympho, now that the morning sickness was going away. He'd accidentally spooned up five servings of sugar to sweeten his tea yesterday, because he'd gotten caught up in staring at his mate and wasn't paying attention. While he was grateful for the reprieve from puking and glad that tea was still one of the few things on his list that he could still consume other than blood, Levi hated how quick he was to spring a boner when his alpha was around. It certainly wasn't as bad as going through a heat, but he just couldn't seen to get enough of Erwin's cock to satisfy him.

"Think we've got time for a quickie?" he mumbled against the blond's white, turtleneck sweater.

Erwin's deep, rumbling chuckle vibrated against Levi's face, and the alpha planted an affectionate kiss on the crown of his head. "Again? So soon? We just made love an hour ago."

Levi grumbled crossly. Yes, he knew they'd just fucked an hour ago. Both his and Erwin's hair was still damp from the shower they'd taken afterwards. "So what? Is there some kind of rule now that says we can't do it more than once every hour?"

"None that I would support," assured the blond between chuckles. He rocked Levi in his arms. "I would be more than happy to see to your needs, but it will have to wait until afterwards. We're late for our appointment as it is, you greedy little demon."

Levi snorted. Maybe he _was_ being a little dick-greedy lately. He boldly reached between his mate's thighs to squeeze his package through the white trousers Erwin was wearing. "With a set like this, who'd blame me for wanting more? You'd better promise to satisfy me when we get back, big guy."

Erwin grunted a little in response to the sudden grope. His expression remained neutral, but there was a twinkle in those gorgeous blue eyes as he gazed down at Levi. "It's a promise. Now stop feeling me up before you give me an obnoxious erection."

Levi smirked. He let his palm linger over the swell of his mate's groin for a moment before complying with Erwin's demand. Maybe his condition had robbed Levi of a lot of things, but libido definitely wasn't one of them. "I'll hold you to that, old man."

* * *

"Well, just look at you!" Hange beamed at Levi as she entered the examination room. "I dare say pregnancy suits you, Levi. You're practically glowing."

"That's these bright-ass lights shining on me," he insisted, clearly uncomfortable with her gushing. "Ist it necessary to have 'em turned up so much, shitty-glasses?"

"Eh?" She glanced up at the fluorescent lighting overhead. "Ah, too much for your sensitive little eyes? Sorry about that, my dear. I need plenty of light to do proper medical examinations, though. You have shades you can put on though, don't you?"

Levi sighed, and he reached into his shirt's breast pocket to pull out the sunglasses he'd placed in there. He put them on, and he allowed Hange to check his vitals. He complained again when he had to take his sunglasses off for her to check his eyes, and he was tearing up involuntarily from her shining the light in them. He put the accessory back on as soon as Hange was finished with that part of the checkup.

"Everything looks good so far," announced Hange after checking off some things on Levi's medical file. "Next we'll draw a little blood, and then we'll do the ultrasound."

"Couldn't we do the ultrasound first?" Levi squirmed uncomfortably. "I've been holding it for an hour now, since you said I need a full bladder for accuracy. I really need a piss."

Hange shrugged. "We could do that. I wouldn't want you to have an accident! Just lie down on the table and try to relax while I get the machine ready, Levi." Hange exited the room to go and retrieve the ultrasound machine, leaving the couple alone for a bit.

He did as she asked, closing his eyes for additional protection against the harsh lighting. Erwin had been right; Hange didn't seem to notice or care that he was wearing track pants. Still, he was running out of options to clothe his bottom half. He turned his head toward the towering blond man that had stepped up to stand at his right side.

"Hey Erwin, can you give me my phone? I want to call up Petra."

Erwin—having offered to hold Levi's cell phone for him since the pants the omega was wearing had no pockets, pulled out the device and handed it to him with a puzzled little frown. "You want to make a phone call at a time like this?"

Sensing his mate's subtle anxiety, Levi smirked. He opened his eyes and looked up at the beloved face hovering over him. He couldn't blame the man; he was a little nervous himself. Not only could they be finding out what gender their baby was tonight, but there was a chance, however small, that something could be wrong with it.

"She said she'd pick me up some male maternity wear," explained Levi. "Since I've only got one pair of pants besides joggers that I can still wear comfortably, I want to remind her."

"Ah, I see." Erwin smiled down at him, and he stroked Levi's hair. "Well, you don't really need to wear pants around the house, you know. I won't complain. In fact, you can forego wearing any clothing at all, if you like."

"Tch. Yeah, I'm gonna run around buck-ass naked with guards coming and going. That'll give 'em something to talk about."

Erwin chuckled. "I suppose I'm so used to them being around that I hardly notice them anymore. Good point; I wouldn't want other men looking at you."

Levi raised a brow. "Uh, you do remember I'm a strip dancer, right? I might be on a hiatus until this kid's born, but I never said I wouldn't go back to doing it again eventually."

Actually, Levi hadn't really thought much on it, but the irony of their teasing exchange reminded him that his dancing was a profession that raked in a lot of extra money, and now he could actually keep all of his earnings and put more aside for the future. He'd never earn as much as Erwin did, but even without escort dates, he would make extra money and enjoy more independence. He didn't _love_ taking his clothes off for strangers, but he did love having his own money.

Erwin's smile faded a bit, and he lowered his gaze. "About that, Levi...I've been meaning to discuss it with you. I realize the financial benefits to you if you were to go back to dancing, but in all honesty, I thought you weren't happy doing it. I was under the impression that you wanted to quit and simply couldn't because of your debt to Kenny. Now that it's settled, there's really no need for you to take up dancing again, is there?"

Levi regarded him shrewdly. "This isn't about what I want. This is about you being a jealous old fart, isn't it?"

Erwin parted his lips, looking like he wanted to deny it. He sighed, and shrugged a moment later. "Partly, I confess. I just thought you had an interest in going to school like we discussed. You do recall that, don't you?"

Levi checked a sigh of his own. Thinly veiled though Erwin's apprehension about the prospect of him dancing again was, he did raise a good point. "Yeah, and I'm still interested in that, I guess. I just still don't know what I want to go for academically. Last time I looked into it, I just got confused because there's so many options and I'm not sure where I would fit."

"That's what aptitude tests are for," reasoned Erwin. "You can take one online and get a better idea of where to start. I'm sure Trost University has a page you can go to for that."

Feeling uncertain and a little irritated, Levi examined his mate's earnest expression. He supposed he couldn't fault Erwin for trying to steer him away from exotic dancing. Most alphas wouldn't be supportive of their omegas dancing nude on a stage for other people. Levi dared say most wouldn't be as understanding as Erwin had been about it, either. He just didn't want to give Erwin the impression that he had the final say in Levi's career choices.

"I'll think about it," said Levi at last. "I've got plenty of time to make up my mind, big guy. I can't just jump right into it the minute I squirt this kid out, anyhow. I'll have a few months of downtime to recover, get back in shape and take care of the baby before I even think of going back to anything besides desk work. Just don't forget that it's _my_ decision, in the end."

"I realize that," assured Erwin somberly. "Levi, have I ever pressured you to stop dancing? Not including after finding out you were pregnant, that is."

"No, you've been more or less cool about it since I stopped taking escort jobs," conceded Levi, "but you obviously jumped to a conclusion when I agreed to stop dancing and stick with management for a while. Maybe that's my fault for not being clear enough, but I never meant I'd do it indefinitely."

Erwin looked away, saying nothing more about it. It made Levi feel like he's just insulted the man, and he sternly told himself not to cave just because his alpha was being a little sullen. Levi usually never backed down from a fight or an argument, but he really disliked quarreling with his hot blond spouse. Levi usually won most disagreements because Erwin tended to spoil him, especially since they found out they were expecting. It didn't seem fair, Levi admitted to himself. He knew damned well his alpha could put up a better fight than he often did with him, but Hange was probably right; Erwin was whipped.

The door to the examination room opened up, and Hange came in pushing the ultrasound machine. "Okay boys, let's get this puppy set up and have a look at that baby!"

Seeing the flat expressions on both their faces, the alpha woman paused with the power chord in one hand. "Did I interrupt something?"

"No, you're fine," Levi said a little stiffly. Somehow it annoyed him more to have Erwin drop the subject and concede than it would have if he'd kept debating the subject. He should be glad that Erwin wasn't being the typical alpha and was trying to respect his wishes. He'd always avoided dating alphas for that reason in the past, so why in the hell was he feeling disappointed that Erwin wasn't trying to be more assertive with him? He'd just been thinking to himself that he needed to make it clear that it was his choice whether to go back to dancing, and not Erwin's.

_~Because it was too easy. He backed down with hardly a fuss, and that doesn't seem like the Erwin Smith I've come to know. He'd never cave in that quick to any of his associates in a disagreement. Shit, have I neutered the bastard?~_

Erwin spoke up then, and Levi realized that the fight wasn't taken out of the blond quite yet. "Hange, pardon my prying, but when you and Petra get pair-bonded and married, do you plan to let her keep dancing?"

"Pfft, do you think I have a say in that?" Hange plugged the machine in, and she watched the screen as she powered it up and made some adjustments.

Erwin glanced at Levi sidelong, who had started to flush indignantly. It didn't seem to phase him, or he was just too stubborn to acknowledge the annoyance he surely must have picked up on through their link. "You two haven't even discussed it? I would think she would at least listen to your concerns...that is, if you have any. I don't know much about your relationship dynamics with her, but she seems like a reasonable girl."

 _~You passive-aggressive piece of shit,~_ fumed Levi. When he'd covertly wished Erwin would stick up for himself more, this wasn't what Levi had in mind. It was insulting that the man would discuss this with another alpha, rather than keep talking to Levi about it.

Hange shrugged, and she stepped closer to Levi so that she could lift up his shirt and expose his belly. She produced a tube of gel from her lab coat pocket, and she started warming it between her hands. "She _is_ a reasonable girl, but Petra has a stubborn streak, too. I'm sure if I raised a stink about it, she'd take my feelings into consideration. I can't expect her to quit her job just because I have some qualms about it."

"Thank you," Levi piped up impulsively, almost savoring the disconcerted look on Erwin's face in response to her answer.

"What if you had a child together?" pressed Erwin. "Dating is one thing, but if she's your mate and the mother of your children, wouldn't you feel differently about it?"

Hange started to answer, looked between the two of them and snapped her mouth shut. She paused in rubbing the tube of gel between her hands, an expression of comprehension bleeding into her hawkish features.

"Oh. Loaded question, I take it?"

Levi looked at Erwin again, and he could see two spots of color slightly darkening the man's high cheekbones. So Erwin wasn't as passive about the subject as Levi had thought. He was getting...angry. Levi could feel it through their bond. This was the first time he'd ever sensed anger directed his way from Erwin.

Hange bit her lip when the mafia boss didn't answer. She looked from Erwin to Levi, and then she sighed. "It would be different if Petra and I had kids. Far be it from me to play Moral Police, but under that sort of circumstance, I'd have a different opinion. My work is hush-hush and not publicized, but exotic dancing isn't, and I would have to think about our kids. Word could get out that little Tina's mom is a stripper, and that could cause teasing in school. It could also lead to educational staff and the local community treating the child differently from others, and then Mama Hange might have to start whooping some ass."

She shrugged, giving Levi an apologetic look. "Sorry, Levi. I've got to side with the point Erwin's trying to make, here. I might not be the best marriage counselor out there and I know I'm a little cracked, but I think the kids should be considered as well."

"Lots of strippers are parents," Levi gritted out. "Maybe not at the Omega Experience since they're all sterilized, but you know damned well how many mothers out there work the stage at other joints."

"Maybe so, but I'm willing to bet their children are going to have issues later on down the line once word gets out about what their mothers do for a living. I'm not saying it's fair or right, but you know how people can be, Levi. The parents of those kids' classmates might not want their children hanging out with them, and kids pick up on their parents' prejudices, more often than not."

"Thank you, Hange," said Erwin in satisfaction, repeating Levi's earlier gratitude.

Levi glared at him, his irises lighting up behind the shadowed lenses of his shades. Unfortunately, he could think of nothing to dispute what was—like it or not—a perfectly reasonable argument from Hange.

* * *

_~He's furious with me.~_

Erwin almost winced at the realization. He'd been a little smug about it when Hange supported his position, and he could feel that burning silver gaze on him even though the sunglasses masked his omega's eyes from view. He didn't want Levi to be unhappy or resentful, but he felt in his bones that the man didn't truly want to go back to dancing, and he was trying to come up with an alternative early on, rather than wait until the last minute and get stuck in an indefensible position.

"Oh, pooh," Hange said as her phone started buzzing. "Just a moment, guys. I'd better answer this. Sorry to make you wait longer!"

She excused herself quickly, heading out into the hallway to answer the phone. She was likely relieved for the interruption. They'd roped her into their problems and put her in an uncomfortable position of playing referee, and Erwin felt chagrined to realize it.

"Was that really fucking necessary?" Levi demanded of him the moment the door closed behind their friend. "You couldn't just save it for the drive home and finish the conversation with me? You had to undermine my decision and try to make me feel like a selfish asshole for wanting a little extra cash of my own?"

"Levi, I didn't mean—" Erwin started to defend, only to be cut off in mid-sentence.

"What, is my opinion worth less than an alpha's? You think once an omega becomes a parent, that's all they should ever do from then on?"

"No, I never said—"

"What a shit-ass time for you to find your spine, Smith," ranted Levi. "We're about to find out if our brat's healthy, maybe find out if we're having a boy or a girl, and you've gotta drag someone into our personal shit?"

Now Erwin's anger was returning, and he affixed the omega with a level, cold blue stare. "My spine was never missing, thank you. The subject came up, and I was a little surprised to hear you're considering going back to dancing. This should have been addressed sooner than this, and I thought if you heard a second opinion, you would see where I'm coming from. It has fuck-all to do with Hange being an alpha. She is your doctor, and the occasional bout of lunacy aside, she's a very logical woman whom I know you respect, no matter how you may pick on her."

Levi's mouth thinned into a hard line, and he didn't say anything.

"You really don't like to lose, do you?" Erwin smirked a little, even as he told himself it wasn't a good idea to gloat over his small victory.

Levi's thin brows shot up. "Who said I've lost? It's still my decision. You can't tell me what to do."

Erwin's jaw dropped a little. "Now you're just being childish."

"Look who's talking! You're the one that can't fight your own battles and had to drag someone else into it."

Erwin growled softly with frustration, feeling the urge to tear his hair out. "Levi, I was not trying to insult you or put you down. I just wanted to hear another take on it. Truthfully, she was on both our sides, if you view it objectively. She only took mine when I mentioned children coming into the mix. You're getting yourself worked up over nothing."

"It's not 'nothing' to me," insisted Levi. His fangs had extended, the sharp points now visible when he spoke. "Your life has hardly changed, but mine's been turned upside down, and now you're pressuring me to give up my financial stability."

Erwin sighed. "Shall we stick our tongues out at each other and trade insulting mother jokes, now? The immaturity in this room is staggering."

Levi started to respond, but then a curious sound erupted from him. He snorted, his fangs shrank, and he covered his mouth with a hand. "Heh. Heh...you...you aren't getting off that easy, blondie. Like you're really the posterboy for acting like an adult, right now."

Erwin started to smile, his anger fading slightly. He'd made his little love laugh, though Levi was obviously trying not to. Reminded of how much he loved it when his spouse gave one of those rare smiles or those soft huffs of amusement, Erwin found it hard to stay angry.

"Maybe we're both being immature," he suggested softly. He took Levi's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I can agree that I should have kept it between us, if you'll agree that my concerns are valid."

Levi heaved a slow sigh, and he nodded. "Yeah, all right. We've both earned the 'asshole' badge tonight, I guess. I'll think about it for a while, like I said. Right now I'm 50/50, and I'm not ready to lock myself into a decision just yet. Good enough for you?"

"I suppose it will have to be," agreed Erwin. He brought Levi's hand to his lips, turned it over and kissed the palm. "Do you still think my spine isn't intact?"

Levi tilted his head a little, considering the question. "Sometimes it seems a little rubbery, lately. At least when it comes to me. Sometimes I wish you'd be more assertive, and yes, I know that's a contradiction to my own fucking argument. I don't know if it's my hormones talking, or if my relationship outlook is changing 'cause it's you. I don't want you to be some overbearing asshole, but I don't want you to be a pushover, either."

Erwin raised a brow. Levi _had_ been a little pouty over it earlier when Erwin turned down a quickie before heading to the clinic. Now Erwin wondered if he was being more cautious than necessary with the sex ."I strike you as a pushover? Levi, I've been all over you since Hange confirmed that it was okay to have intercourse on the days when you feel all right for it. Have I not been satisfying you enough?"

Levi immediately shook his head, and he struggled into a sitting position. "No, that's not what I mean. I've got no complaints in that department, even if I was acting like a sex-crazed horn dog earlier."

Erwin chuckled, relieved to hear that at least that fear was unfounded. "Then explain it to me. I'm not sure what exactly it is you want."

"That makes two of us," grumbled Levi. He laid back down, and he rubbed his belly absently. "I guess what I mean is when it comes to disagreements, I don't want you to think you've always got to let me have my way. Not that I'm any more likely to cave if I feel strongly about something and you're on a different page than me, but you haven't been putting up much of a fight in those situations, lately. I'm not talking about us having our little one-up contests in the bedroom, I'm talking about practical, every day shit. Sometimes I wish you'd be more like you are with your subordinates or associates with me when you have an issue with something."

Levi's nose crinkled a little as he thought about what he'd said, and he peeked over the top of his shades at Erwin. "Did any of that make sense?"

Erwin smiled. "It's a bit confusing, but I think so. The only reason I'm more accommodating with you than I am with others is because I'm sleeping with you, and we're having a child together. That tends to stack the odds a little more in your favor. As for my life not changing since we conceived, Levi, do you really believe that?"

Levi actually looked just a little bit contrite. "I was pissed off when I said that. I know this hasn't been easy on you either, okay? You've been working from home a lot, taking care of me and busting your ass to put together that damned nursery. In the heat of the moment, I wasn't thinking of that."

Erwin squeezed his hand again, gladdened that the argument had winded down and they were having a more adult, thoughtful exchange. He really hated quarreling with Levi. "I can't carry it for you, but I can do my best to lighten the burden and make you as comfortable as possible. I'm sorry if that makes me seem like a suck-up, but you and this baby are always first in my thoughts."

"There you go again with the poetry," muttered Levi, smirking.

Hange came back in at that moment, cracking the door open cautiously before poking her head in. "Is everything all right in here? No throwing things at each other or screaming?"

"We're fine," Erwin replied with a grin.

"Oh, good. Let's have a look at that baby, then. Levi, I'm sure you're busting for a piss by now."

"You think?" grumbled the omega. "It's not helping my mood any, four-eyes. Let's get this started. I've still gotta call Petra, too. I forgot."

* * *

After suffering through the almost painful press of the ultrasound paddle against his bladder, Levi almost demanded that Hange stop before he had an accident. At that moment, however, she crowed in triumph and pointed at the screen. "Look! There it is, guys. That's your baby right there."

Levi's head whipped to the side as he turned it to look. He frowned in confusion, unable to distinguish anything baby-like on the fuzzy image. Hange turned a knob, and the unmistakable sound of a heart beat came through. Somehow, hearing it enabled Levi to get more connected to the moment, and he finally realized that the peanut-shaped little mass on the screen was his child.

"That's it?" he asked, blinking. "I thought it would be bigger than that."

"Not this early," explained Hange. "Oh, it's turning over! We might be able to determine the sex. Do you boys want to know, or do you want to be surprised when it's born?"

"We agreed that we want to know as soon as it can be determined," stated Erwin. He was staring raptly at the screen, wearing an expression of unabashed awe on his handsome face. "It will help us decide on a name and a theme for the nursery."

"Don't tell me you're one of those color-coded people that thinks blue is for boys and pink is for girls," sighed Hange, but she was grinning. "That's so outdated."

"Not necessarily," assured Erwin, "though knowing the gender will have some influence on the decor. We still haven't decided between pastels or something bolder."

Hange laughed with delight. "You are so into this, aren't you boss? I never thought I'd see the day. Well, let's have a look. Hmm..."

Levi and Erwin waited in anticipatory silence as Hange studied the screen with narrowed eyes. She carefully moved the paddle over Levi's stomach a little to try and get a clearer image, and she finally nodded.

"Looks like you're having a son. Congratulations, gentlemen. I'll want Levi to come in again for a second ultrasound in a couple of weeks just to be sure, though."

"Fine," said Levi. "Is everything okay? Does he look healthy enough to you?"

"His heartbeat is nice and strong and steady," she reassured him. "I'm not seeing anything abnormal, but we'll run additional tests when I take some blood samples, and I'll let you know if anything unusual comes up. Now, I'll just take a couple of still images for you to take home with you, and then you can go pee, Levi."

He released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. So far, everything looked okay. He had dizzy spells at times and his thirst for blood was almost tripled, but things were going better than he'd expected. Erwin helped him up and off the table when Hange wiped Levi's stomach clean and tugged his shirt down, and Levi made a beeline for the nearest restroom.

"Oh, don't forget to take a urine sample while you're in there," Hange called to him. "You'll find a container for it sitting in the wall cubby, okay?"

"Got it," he called back. He'd be lucky if there wasn't some serious splashback, as urgently as he had to have a whiz.

* * *

Later on as they were being driven home by Nile, Levi phoned Petra up with a reminder to pick him up some maternity pants the next day, as scheduled. He gave her his waist measurement, and she promised to find something expandable so that he could adjust the girth as his pregnancy advanced. Levi hung up with her, and he frowned at the soreness in his chest. His nipples had been extra sensitive from the beginning, but today he'd noticed increasing tenderness in his pecs. He kneaded them with his fingertips, not noticing the way Erwin watched him curiously as the blond spoke on the phone with Mike.

"Feels like I had a workout," mumbled Levi to himself. There was a little bit of swelling, too. He tried not to worry about it, because Hange had told him he might experience this later on. He just got the impression it would be closer to the end of his pregnancy by the time it started. They wouldn't have the blood test results until tomorrow, but if it went anything like the last time, Hange would probably report that Levi's red blood count and iron levels were predictably low. Hopefully that would be the only negative news about it.

"Mike, hold on a moment," Erwin said. He addressed Levi. "Is everything all right?"

Levi shrugged. "My tits are sore. They were a little sore earlier, but now it's really irritating. Should have mentioned it to Hange at the appointment, but I was distracted and forgot about it."

"Mike, let me call you back," said Erwin into the phone, and he hung up.

"Oi, what're you doing?" Levi demanded as his mate started tugging up his shirt.

"I'm looking at your chest," answered Erwin simply. He pushed Levi's hands away when the omega tried to ward him off, his expression stern and concerned. "The privacy divider is closed, Levi. There's no reason for you to be shy."

Erwin smirked, clicking on the overhead light with one hand. "And you want to think of going back to dancing." He shook his head. "You're embarrassed over the thought of my driver seeing your chest. How would you—"

"Let's not get into that again," groaned Levi. He flushed as Erwin examined his chest studiously. He jumped a little when the alpha felt along his right peck with gentle fingers, and then moved to the left. The skin felt tight over them, and it ached when the blond put pressure on them. "I'm not embarrassed about someone seeing my chest, either. I just know what a pervert you are and don't want him seeing you feel me up."

"They're definitely a bit swollen," remarked Erwin softly, choosing not to comment on the accusation that he was a pervert. He met Levi's gaze. "Does it hurt?"

"Yeah, when they're pressed on. Otherwise it feels like muscle fatigue from a workout, but I haven't done any exercise today except the squats."

"Then you could be starting to lactate," reasoned Erwin. "They're a little hot to the touch. We should put a cool compress on it when we get home. I don't want you to end up with an infection."

"You think my tits could get infected?" Levi's eyes widened. He hadn't considered that disgusting possibility. "It's pretty early for me to spring a leak. Maybe we ought to call Hange."

"I will once we're home," agreed Erwin. "I've been doing a lot of reading on omega pregnancies though, and some people begin lactating even earlier than this. It's probably nothing to worry about. How long have they been bothering you?"

Levi found it hard to concentrate with Erwin gently massaging his chest. It did hurt a little, but it wasn't necessarily a bad hurt. It seemed to loosen up some of the tension there, and Levi realized he'd been flexing unconsciously due to tension. "Up 'till today, the nipples were the only part bothering me. I have to wear shirts with soft material if I don't want them to get chafed. Ow, careful!"

Erwin had lightly squeezed the left pec, and _that_ hurt. He rubbed soothingly around the nipple, and he kissed Levi softly on the lips. "Sorry, love. If you're complaining, I know it must be troubling you. I was trying to massage it the way I've read about. Sometimes that can encourage lactation and—"

"Why would you want to _encourage_ it?" interrupted Levi, staring at him. "The brat's not here yet, so why rush my milk to come in?"

"Because it's already coming in, by the looks of it," explained Erwin smoothly. "If it builds up without getting expressed, you'll get even more swollen and uncomfortable. I don't want you to suffer, Levi. We can try warm and cold compression to sooth it, and the swelling might go down without actual lactation happening."

"Or I could end up with a leaky chest," sighed the omega, disgusted. "Just what I need; to look like I'm in a fucking wet t-shirt contest all the time."

Erwin chuckled softly, and he brushed his lips against Levi's cheek before nibbling on his ear. "I wouldn't mind the look on you, but if it really bothers you, we can pick up some padding from the pharmacy."

"Padding?" repeated Levi dubiously. Erwin apparently knew more about his condition than Levi did. "What, you mean like a bra or something? I'm not wearing a fucking bra."

"It isn't a bra," explained Erwin patiently. "Rather, it's a chest wrap for males. You wear it beneath your shirt and adjust the absorbent pads over your nipples. I've researched them online and they seem very discreet, from the photos I looked at. The pads are thin, and they protect your nipples from chafing and absorb any moisture that comes out."

Levi thought about it. On the one hand, he didn't want to have to wear some kind of bandages on his chest every day, but on the other, he didn't want to stain his shirts or go around with two wet spots on his chest all the time. He sighed, and his vision unfocused when Erwin nibbled his earlobe again, his tongue flicking against the brass cross earring Levi wore in it.

"I guess...we could try that."

Levi gasped when Erwin's thumb brushed over his right nipple, making it spring to hardness immediately. His crotch started to swell, and the alpha scent coming from the blond grew stronger. "Cut it out before you get me worked up," he protested, biting his lip. "Bad enough that I'm on my way to having leaky nips. I don't wanna walk into the pharmacy with a huge boner, you creep."

"I'll go in and get the product for you," offered Erwin huskily. He kept fondling the bud, and he kissed the side of Levi's neck. "You can just relax in the car."

Levi wavered, torn between growing lust and disconcertment. He was definitely going to start lactating if he let Erwin keep playing like this, but as the blond pointed out, it was inevitable anyhow.

"Tell your driver," hummed the omega, eyes fluttering shut with pleasure. "But wait...let me tug my shirt down first before you open that divider, damn it."

Erwin pulled back with a smirk, watching as his now blushing spouse pulled his shirt back down. "You're so cute when you get shy like this."

"Fuck you," grumbled Levi.

"One thing at a time, love," countered Erwin smoothly.

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of chapter recap:
> 
> Armin: "Blah, blah, blah, blah..."
> 
> Eren: "Um, can you say that again without all those fancy words? I don't get it."
> 
> Armin: "Oh! Well, I was just trying to say that I may have found something useful about the Ackerman vampires that could help Levi."
> 
> Eren: "Oh! I thought you were writing a play or something."
> 
> Levi: "Damn it, nothing fits me anymore. All my pants are getting too tight."
> 
> Erwin: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> Levi: "What are you smirking about, creep? I can't go around without pants."
> 
> Erwin: "Why not?"
> 
> Levi: "...pervert."
> 
> Hange: "Okay Levi, time to torture your bladder...uh, I mean take a picture of your baby!"
> 
> Levi: "If I lose it and piss, I know exactly where I'm aiming it."
> 
> Erwin: "Wait, I thought you were going to quit dancing for good. Now you want to go back to it later?"
> 
> Levi: "Oi, I never said I wouldn't take it back up after the kid's born."
> 
> Erwin: "I see."
> 
> Levi: "You pissed?"
> 
> Erwin: "No. Hange, do you think Levi is being a selfish little shit?"
> 
> Hange: "Um...er...oh look! Someone's calling my phone! I'll just run outside and answer it."
> 
> Levi: "You can't tell me what to do. Oh, and find your spine."
> 
> Erwin: "You realize you just contradicted yourself completely there?"
> 
> Levi: "I'm hormonal and confused. I have a fucking excuse. At least I didn't drag one of our friends into it."
> 
> Erwin: "Are we going to sing: 'Nanny, nanny boo-boo' next?"
> 
> Levi: "I'm not laughing. I'm clearing my throat."
> 
> Hange: "Mozel tov, it's a boy!"
> 
> Erwin (afterwards): ( • )( • )ԅ(‾⌣‾ԅ)
> 
> Levi: 눈_눈 "Erwin, stop staring at my tits. Oi, hands off!"
> 
> Erwin: "But they're so cute, and massaging them will help."
> 
> Levi: "...I'm as much of a pervert as you are for liking this..."


	27. Chapter 27

As it turned out, Levi was indeed starting to lactate and it took him a while to adjust to the experience and work out how to use the padding under his clothing. Erwin bought four of the chest wraps for him so that he wouldn't have to re-use the same one each day, along with a couple of packs of the absorbent pad replacements. Petra took care of a lot of Levi's maternity shopping needs, and to his annoyance, she measured his expanding baby bump each time she came over to visit. She insisted on doing it so that she could find the best fit for his clothing needs. The staff at the Omega Experience started planning a baby shower for the final trimester, which was coming up faster than any of them had expected. It seemed like just yesterday Levi had announced his pregnancy, and he was already nearing the end of his second trimester.

Spring had come and gone, and summer was a hot one this year. It was making Levi even more miserable. The heat sapped his strength further when he ventured out of artificial climate control even at night, and he had narcoleptic moments where he would be awake one moment and asleep the next, before he even realized he'd nodded off. He got as much exercise as he dared, focusing more on cardio and strength training in the pelvic area for the upcoming birth of the baby. Though he wasn't keeping as fit as he normally would due to the complications of his condition, he was still in better shape than a lot of people.

In mid-June, Armin requested a meeting at Erwin's place. He explained to the mafia boss that it needed to be a closed meeting with only the a short list of people attending, so Erwin set things up and waited as the sun went down. He went into the bedroom to check on Levi, and he found him still fast asleep. Erwin approached the bed quietly, and he eased the sheets down when he saw the sweat beading on Levi's face. He'd forgotten to cut the air conditioner temperature down while his mate slept, and Levi liked to sleep under the covers even when it was warm. Erwin reached for the overhead fan control on the wall at the head of the bed, and he stroked Levi's bangs back from the vampire's forehead.

"Levi," whispered Erwin, loathe to wake him. He generally preferred to let the omega wake on his own, but this meeting primarily involved Levi. "You need to wake up. Everyone will be here in about a half hour, and I know how you hate being groggy during important discussions."

Levi stirred, opening his eyes slowly to look up at Erwin. "What time is it?" he yawned, arching his back and stretching.

"It's after seven. Do you remember me coming in here earlier to talk to you about the meeting?"

Levi nodded, and his eyes drifted shut again. "Yeah. Something about my family lineage, right? The kid thinks he found something?"

"So I've been told." Erwin nodded. "It may be pertinent to making the rest of your pregnancy go easier, but if not, it could still answer some questions about your clan's history."

"Hmph, maybe." Levi opened his eyes again. "It's a bit late now for whatever info he's got to be of much help with this pregnancy, but I'll give him props for digging up shit we could never find. I'd like to know just how he came by this information, whatever it is."

Erwin slipped a hand beneath Levi's pajama shirt, and he rubbed the rounded baby bump beneath in gentle circles. "I can make you some tea to help wake you up. I've got a serving of blood ready to be warmed up for you, as well."

"Sounds good." Levi wiped at his forehead, blowing a sigh. "Feels hot in here."

"I'll turn down the temperature on the air conditioning." Erwin slipped an arm beneath Levi's shoulders to help him sit up. "Would you like to change while I prepare your beverages?"

Levi yawned again, looking absurdly cute in his sleepy, mussed state and the dark green pajama set Erwin had bought for him. He slid off of the bed and half-stumbled to the dresser, incidentally opening one of Erwin's clothing drawers in his drowsy confusion. Erwin got up to help him when the omega stared blankly down at the selection of neatly folded dress shirts, obviously realizing that they weren't his.

"This one, Levi," corrected Erwin with a little smile. He opened the drawer right next to the one Levi was staring into. Sometimes it troubled him to see how disoriented Levi could get, but Hange reassured him that it was just normal, waking confusion and Levi's brain activity was normal. He just needed a lot more rest, these days. Fortunately, they only had about three and a half months left of this, and with luck, they'd welcome a healthy son into the world.

"Damn, I'm like a befuddled old man," griped Levi. He selected a loose button-up black shirt with short sleeves, and then he went to the drawer beneath it for a pair of pants. He then opened up another drawer and got out a pair of boxers and one of his chest wraps. "I'll be so glad to stop wearing these things," he muttered, referring both to the boxer shorts and the wrapping.

"It won't be much longer now," encouraged Erwin.

He kissed his mate on the cheek, and he refrained from getting too amorous with him. Levi's libido had calmed down as he got heavier. While he allowed Erwin to help him ease the tightness in his pecs with massage, expression and compresses, most of their intimacy was restricted to making out or pleasuring each other with hands and mouths.

Leaving his spouse to change in privacy and tidy himself up, Erwin left the bedroom to make Levi's drinks and finish setting up for the meeting.

* * *

Hange was the first to arrive, being very excited to learn more about the Ackerman clan and their origins. She joined Erwin in the meeting room for a drink while they waited on the others, and she took a seat at the table.

"I'm on pins and needles to hear what Armin dug up," she said conversationally, sipping at the martini Erwin had mixed up for her. "I tried to do some poking around myself, but my forte with research is more geared towards medical and science. It seems our little blond scholar is the go-to guy for bloodline origins and history."

"He seems to have put a great deal of effort into pulling together this presentation for us. I'm very curious, myself."

Hange started fooling with her phone, as was her habit when things were relatively quiet. Always researching, that one. Erwin didn't remonstrate her for looking up things on her browser. His thoughts were full of what they might discover tonight, and he was tempted to go out on the balcony and have a cigar to mellow himself out.

"Oooh, shit," Hange muttered, eyes widening behind her glasses. The flickering light of her phone screen reflected off the lenses as she stared down at whatever she'd come across.

"What?" Erwin asked the question mildly, used to Hange coming across all sorts of random things in her browsing moments.

"Er, maybe you don't need to see this," she said evasively.

Erwin frowned at her. "What is it?"

Hange grimaced as the mafia boss got up and approached her to peer over her shoulder. She tried to hide the screen, but Erwin gave her the hairy eyeball, and she showed him with a sigh. "This toddler fell off the balcony of a high rise today. It looks like her babysitter didn't close the door all the way, and the little girl got out on the balcony and slipped through the railing bars."

Erwin watched as Hange played the awful video. Someone down on the ground filmed it while it was happening, and Erwin winced when the small girl fell from the third floor. There was no way she could have survived that.

"I told you that you shouldn't see it," sighed Hange as Erwin's expression gave away his thoughts. "You've child-proofed your balcony, and it has solid cement instead of railing."

Erwin's eyes went blank as he imagined the same thing somehow happening to his son, some day. His penthouse was up much higher than the apartment that poor little girl in the news video had fallen from. He was on the top floor of a thirty-five story building, in fact.

Levi came in while Erwin stood there with a stunned look on his face. The omega paused in the act of setting down the two warm mugs he'd brought in with him. He approached the two alphas curiously. "Why do you both look like you're straining to take a shit?"

Hange closed down the page she was on, and she quickly pulled up her email application. "Oh, it's nothing, Levi! I was just showing Erwin a financial report sent to me by Ness concerning one of the family's business investments. It looks like we might have to sick some soldiers on the owner and remind him there's a minimal percentage owed to us from each month's profit."

Levi raised a brow. "Okay. You two are acting like somebody died. I'm sure your guys can deal with it."

"Of course," said Erwin. "Levi, come with me to my office for a moment, before the others get here. There's something that I want to discuss with you."

"Now?" Levi gave him a faintly puzzled look, but he shrugged and picked up his mugs. "All right. Better make it fast. I can't promise my energy levels are gonna hold up for long tonight."

* * *

"We need to move."

Levi nearly choked on his tea. He blinked up at his companion, who was standing at the window overlooking the city. "Something tells me I didn't walk in on a conversation about some business's finances, after all. What the hell brought this on? Is there another fucking mafia war starting, or what?"

Erwin turned to look at him, and his sapphire gaze was troubled. "It has nothing to do with any disputes with rival syndicates. This is about our family; as in yours and mine. I've had some reservations about raising a child in a high-rise apartment. I've toyed with the idea of moving into the home we were using as a safe house for the dancers, out in the country. I saw something tonight that made me consider it more seriously, and I think it would be a more appropriate setting to raise our child."

Levi remembered Erwin mentioning the subject a couple of times before, asking him what he thought of living in that place. "But you love this penthouse, and you've put a shit-load of work into the nursery. Besides, it's an hour's drive to that house. Here, we're in the hub of all your major business activity and mine, too. What's gotten you so spooked to go from a 'maybe' to a 'must do'?"

Erwin combed his fingers through his hair, and he walked over to the leather swivel chair behind his desk. Having a seat in it, he placed his hands on the surface of the desk and threaded his fingers together. "Hange came across a disturbing video that reminded me of one of the concerns I have about bringing up a child in this kind of dwelling."

Levi tilted his head slightly. "What kind of video was it?"

Erwin hesitated, but evidently decided on the honest approach. "She was browsing the latest news headlines, and she found one with a video about a toddler that had a fatal fall from the balcony of a high rise. It happened on the east side of town, apparently. Seeing that served as a reminder to me that while this penthouse was ideal for me as a bachelor, things have changed."

Levi rubbed his temples, trying to absorb this unexpected talk. It wasn't exactly out of the blue, but he thought the plan was to stay where they were and to use that place upstate as a summer home. "You waited long enough to come to this decision," he finally accused. "Are you sure you're not just being rash because the video shocked you? Our balcony is pretty damned secure. Sucks about that little girl, but the same thing's not gonna happen to our kid."

"It isn't just the balcony that worries me, Levi," explained the blond. "I'm also considering fire safety in this building, and while the security here is tight, escaping a blaze might prove difficult. Also consider the elevators; also a safety hazard."

"And you think the stairs in that big house wouldn't be a safety hazard?" Levi pointed out, though he could see Erwin's logic.

"Less of one than the lifts here. I realize it wouldn't be as convenient to live out there, but think about it: There's a real yard, a swimming pool—"

"That a kid could drown in," cut in Levi with raised brows.

"It's fenced in, and with proper childproofing, I believe that house could be the ideal location to raise our family."

Levi stared at him silently for a moment, taking another sip of his blood cocktail. "You seem pretty determined to do this."

Erwin got out of his seat. He came around from behind the desk to the armchair Levi was sitting in, and he squatted before him, placing his hands on the omega's knees as he looked up at him. "I'm not trying to make this decision without you. I would like for this to be something we agree to do together. I realize the distance between the house and the city is an inconvenience, and we're both used to city life. I would really like you to be on board with this, though."

If nothing else, Levi could appreciate him trying to include him in the decision. This was Erwin's place. Though they were married now, the alpha had purchased this penthouse rather than rent it, so Erwin really didn't need his permission to do whatever the hell he wanted with it. "Look, if you want to sell the penthouse and move out, I'm not gonna try to stop you. You'd better make sure it's what you really want though, Erwin. You did put a lot of effort into that baby room, and like you said, we're both used to living in the city."

"Everything in the nursery could be moved there, and I can convert one of the bedrooms into a nursery." Erwin smiled at him. "As for this bachelor pad of mine, I really don't need it any longer. I've been debating it for a while, and I think I'm ready to grow up."

Levi shrugged. "All right, then. I just hope we don't get too bored, living out there in the boonies. You're talking about a lot of work with redesigning the place to suite your tastes as a home too, if you haven't considered that. Since you're already paying for both places, maybe you don't have to sell off the penthouse. You could keep it so you've got a place here in the city to do your business, or you could lease it out. You were keeping that house upstate as a summer home, so why not do something like that with the penthouse?"

Erwin got a thoughtful look on his face. "You know, I hadn't considered those options."

"Because you're panicking and rushing into something without fully thinking it through," reasoned Levi with a smirk. "Don't feel like you've got to ditch this place right away, Erwin. We can move into that house and see how things go. If you still want to sell off the penthouse in a year, go for it. Less chance for regrets, that way."

Erwin nodded, staring at him with admiration. "And I was concerned that you weren't up for this meeting, but here you are keeping me grounded."

Levi felt his cheeks warm at the compliment. He had to admit, he and Erwin balanced one another out nicely. When one of them acted like a dumb ass, the other was quick to intervene. He had never known a partnership like this before, and he couldn't say he didn't enjoy it.

* * *

"I'm glad we're all here now," Armin began as everyone sat down at the table. Kenny had naturally been the last to arrive, and Levi shoved his uncle's booted feet off the table when the lanky alpha propped them carelessly over the surface.

Armin had powered up the laptop computer he'd brought with him, and he was clicking through some programs. "Let me just set up and—"

"Whoa, are you about to give some kind of power point presentation?" Kenny said with a scowl of distaste. "I didn't sign up for that. Just give us the goods, kid. It's one of the busiest nights of the week at the club, and I've got to get back to managing it."

"If by 'manage', you mean sitting around getting drunk and counting cash," muttered Levi.

Kenny flipped Levi off, and Armin sighed. He'd almost declined to extend the invitation to Kenny, but since the man had shown some interest in his nephew's health since Levi got pregnant and was quite possibly one of the last three Ackerman vampires left in the world, Armin decided it was too important not to include him.

"Just bear with me, please. It isn't an exceptionally long presentation, Mr. Ackerman. I'm just going to project some images as I go along as a visual aid to help clarify my findings. I've got scans, a couple of charts I created and some reference sources; all of which I've compiled into documents that I'll email to each of you after this meeting. I think this is really important, not only for Mr. Levi, but for the continuation of your bloodline in general."

"So far, the runt is the only one of us throwing the line back into the gene pool," Kenny sorted out with a nod at Levi.

Mikasa and Armin exchanged a glance, and a barely perceptible smirk curved one corner of the young woman's mouth. As if summoned by their covert, secretive little exchange, Eren came into the meeting room at that moment, carrying Armin's projector in his arms.

"Got it," announced the dancer, having gone to retrieve it from the car when Armin realized he'd left it behind. Eren started for the table, but the chord to the device he carried unraveled and he tripped over it. "Whoa!"

Mikasa was at Eren's side in a flash, steadying him before he could go crashing into the table. "Maybe you should just let me take this, Eren."

Blushing sheepishly, Eren relinquished the projector to his girlfriend, and he quickly found a seat before he could cause a catastrophe. Armin refrained from chuckling at his boyfriend, and he thanked Mikasa softly as she set up the projector and connected it to his computer for him. Poor Eren. He was so light on his feet up on the stage, but cursedly clumsy in most other settings. He was actually a rather socially awkward fellow, but Eren seemed to find his balance and his freedom in dancing.

Armin thanked Erwin when the mafia boss offered him a bottle of his favorite wine beverage, and he took a sip before adjusting the projector. "All right, let's begin."

* * *

That look that had passed between Mikasa and Armin wasn't lost on Hange, but she didn't get the chance to ponder what it might have been about before the presentation got underway. She listened and watched in fascination as Armin projected a map onto the screen against the wall. It was an old world map of their continent, dating back nearly a thousand years.

"It took quite a bit of fact checking before I was absolutely sure," Armin explained, "and that's why it's taken me so long to pull this together. As it turns out, the Ackerman vampire clan migrated to Trost from Marley, where they originally came from. My estimate of the timeline is based on various sources, but I've narrowed it down to sometime during the end of the seventeenth century. That's the most accurate time period I can provide based on what I've found."

Armin reached down to click on his computer's touchpad, bringing up another image. It looked to be another scan from an old book, and it depicted a village in the mountains. "Now that I've told you where the clan came from, we'll move on to _why_ they came here. Not all of the Ackerman family migrated from their place of origin. Just the vampires. Originally, the Ackerman family was comprised of vampire hunters, and they were all human."

"Vampire hunters?" repeated Mikasa, her dark eyes widening a little.

"Human?" Eren blurted next.

"Yes." Armin clicked to the next image, which showed a drawn picture of a man that looked suspiciously similar to Kenny Ackerman, wearing a long coat and holding a stake in one hand and a cross in the other. "Originally, the Ackermans were said to be the bane of all vampires in Marley. They were a thorn in the side to one clan in particular..."

"The Carvers," guessed Kenny with a nasty smirk.

Armin nodded, and he clicked to the next image. "That's right. The Carvers used to call Marley their home, as well. Some members of Ackerman family were more or less born and bred to fight them off and protect the villagers. In fact, they got so good at it that the leaders of the Carver clan took great strides to get vengeance on the slayers and put an end to their opposition."

Armin brought up the next image, which depicted several alter-like structures with people tied up to them and dark figures milling about. "Now, here's where historical facts get muddied with legend. Bear it in mind, this part is still up for some speculation, but I did my best to compare sources and make this as accurate as possible, but a lot of it is still lost in history."

"Well," said Hange, "we know vampires are real, so it's very possible that the mythical parts of this could be factual."

"My thoughts exactly," agreed Armin. "So, the Carver clan ambushed some of the Ackerman slayers one night. According to the old text, they made a pact with the devil and put a curse on all of them. I couldn't find the details on the ritual, but it apparently turned all of the Ackerman prisoners into a form of hybrid vampire. For the Carvers, it was poetic justice for the slayers' actions against them. It put them into a state of being that caught them between worlds, not full vampire, but no longer human, either. The other slayers they hunted down and slaughtered, and they made it look like the transformed Ackerman slayers were responsible for it."

Eren raised his hand like a kid in school.

"Yes, Eren?"

"So they pretty much _created_ the Ackerman clan and then framed them?"

"Yes, that's right." Armin switched to the next projection. This one showed the same map from the beginning of the presentation, but graphically edited to show a line of red arrows leading from Marley in the west to the next continent to the east, where Trost was located. "The Ackerman vampires became hunted, not only by the vampires they once defended against, but also, ironically, the very people they once protected. Both humans and vampires wanted them exterminated, and the surviving Ackerman vampires fled here to Trost. The Carvers must have tracked them down here at some point, but by then, they were spread out. Some of the human Ackerman bloodlines also migrated here, which really explains a lot, if you think about it."

"This must be why none of you have an innate aversion to sunlight, crosses or silver," Erwin murmured to his spouse.

"Gramps said something about our family migrating once," Kenny said with a frown. "He never said from where, but he did say it was how we ended up hooking up with the Akimoto clan and allying with 'em. The Akimoto's were having problems with the Carvers going after them too, so we banded together."

"Then could this history be connected to Dr. Carver's interest in Levi?" Hange pondered. "He was specifically searching for an omega from the Ackerman clan, and it seems omegas from that clan have a greater success rate reproducing than betas. Levi is doing really well, so it seems the key lies in proper nutrients and care."

"And medical advancements hadn't progressed enough yet in those days for many Ackerman bearers of the vampire variety to survive giving live birth," Armin theorized. "If they'd had the means and the knowledge of how to treat the symptoms, there might be more of their clan left today."

Levi's mouth twisted. "He wanted me to give him brats because he thought I would pass down our immunities to them. He fed on me a few times while he had me, and he claimed he was able to go out in full sunlight for a while after doing so; like my blood was some kind of vampire sunblock."

"Then why the hell wouldn't he have just settled for any Ackerman vamp he could get his hands on?" Kenny asked with a frown. "He'd get the same benefit from an alpha or beta."

"Because he had a greater goal in mind," Armin pointed out. "He didn't just want those benefits for himself; he wanted his own offspring with hybrid genetics, and possibly to market their blood to other vampires as a sort of...well...sunblock elixir. Perhaps he intended to find an omega and beta and force them to breed together, but he evidently decided that breeding Levi with his own offspring was more appealing."

"This is making me feel sick," muttered Levi, and Erwin scooted closer to put a comforting arm around him.

"Armin," said the mafia boss, "what are your theories concerning how this history influences the troubles Ackermans face when it comes to reproducing?"

Armin flipped to another image on the projector, this one depicting the outline of a pregnant female. "I was just getting to that. I suspect that the inability to digest solid foods, the increased requirement for blood, aversion to sunlight and silver are all due to the connection between the mother and the unborn. You know how they say they're 'eating for two' when someone is pregnant? The same would hold true here. Because the Ackermans didn't originate as vampires, but humans, their bodies have more difficulty adjusting. They need more blood to maintain gestation and help the fetus to grow, and they develop the 'allergies' if you will to light and silver because the presence of the baby inside them magnifies the vampiric part of their nature."

Hange nodded, impressed. She'd been theorizing almost exactly the same thing, and she'd been adjusting her medical advice for Levi accordingly. It seemed to do the trick. Yes, the little grump was fatigued most of the time as his pregnancy neared the final stretch, but he was holding up nicely and his red blood count hadn't dropped to dangerous levels since the beginning.

"It looks like we've been making the right calls medically and nutritionally, then," she suggested. "It's just a shame that so many Ackerman's perished out of ignorance or a lack of resources. That doesn't mean that the three in this room are the last of them, though. There could be more in other parts of the world."

"It's highly probable," agreed Erwin with a nod.

Eren raised his hand again. Armin smiled at him helplessly before nodding at him to go ahead and ask his question.

"What if an Ackerman alpha or beta did it with a human omega or beta and got them pregnant? Could the mother even carry it to term? Would it make them have the same issues as an Ackerman bearer?"

Armin paused, and a brief flash of dismay altered his expression as he stared at his green-eyed omega lover. "I really don't know, Eren. I tried to look up family trees to find out if there were any cases of human bearers mating with Ackerman sires, but it's either buried too deep or all records have been destroyed."

"I can answer that," announced Kenny. Everyone looked at him. "My grandma was human; an omega, in fact. She married Gramps and they had my mom. Yeah, humans can get knocked up by Ackerman vamps, and I guess they have an easier time of it, because Grandma said she just craved rare, bloody meat a lot and got a little more sensitive to sunlight. Nothing extreme like what Levi here's been going through."

Armin, Mikasa and Eren all looked at one another. Hange again noticed the exchange, and she tapped her chin thoughtfully with a finger.

_~Now, just what is the trio up to. Could it be...?~_

"Well, I'm afraid that concludes the presentation," said Armin, interrupting Hange's ponderings. "I wish I had more, but just pulling this much together took me two months of research and connecting the dots. I have a theory that if they used some kind of ritual to turn the slayers in the past, maybe there's another one to undo it...but I haven't found anything on that, yet."

Levi tensed in his seat. "You saying there could be a way to ditch the fangs and become human?"

Armin sighed. "Theoretically, but remember sir, we're going by ancient history that's steeped in myth. It could have all started with an abnormal pregnancy between one of the older vampires and a human, resulting in the birth of the first hybrid. We have no proof yet that there was actually a ritual, and from what I understand, vampires can't actually turn people the way they do in stories. It's something they're born into, almost as if they're a different species from humans. Take it with a grain of salt, and if I find anything definitive, I'll let you know."

The meeting ended, and everyone went into the living room to socialize for a bit and enjoy the refreshment Erwin had laid out. Hange approached Eren, Mikasa and Armin when she saw them gathered around the snack table, and she spoke softly to them.

"Step outside with me for a minute, kiddos. I've got something I want to speak with you about."

* * *

At first, Eren had an unreasonable fear that he was about to get into trouble for something. Hange was nice, and she was the only doctor he could bear to let touch him since his ordeal, but he'd seen how unpredictable she could be. Maybe she had a problem with him raising his hand during the presentation when he had questions. Nobody else had done that, and the dancer felt a little foolish for being so childish while everyone else around him conducted themselves like professional adults—well, except for Kenny.

"Hey, if this is about the hand-raising, I'm sorry," he told her once Mikasa closed the sliding door behind them. "I never got to go to school, but that's how students do it in the movies when they have a question fro their instructor, so it's just a habit I've gotten into."

"That?" Hange chuckled and shook her head. "No, no, Eren. _That_ was adorable. What I wanted to speak with the three of you about is that look that passed between you all. I noticed it between Armin and Mikasa in the beginning, but then all three of you did it, and my clue bulb lit up."

Eren scratched the back of his head, uncomfortable with the intense look Hange was now leveling directly at him. "It was just a glance, Miss Hange."

"Ah, but it happened right after you asked if it was possible for a human beta or omega to have an Ackerman's baby."

Eren bit his lip, and he peeked under his bangs at Mikasa, who had lowered her eyes in thought. "Well, we were on the subject," he excused lamely. "I just wanted to know."

Hange smiled at him. "Eren, I think there's more to it than that. Are you considering a reverse procedure, my dear?"

Eren blushed. He met Armin's eyes briefly, and he sighed. "We've talked about it a little. I...well as you know, I've never even experienced a heat before. I don't know if it can even be done, but I think I'd like to at least have the chance to have a kid some day if I want to. W-we were going to try and talk to you about it soon, but I didn't know how to bring it up. Levi's having a kid, I'm sure Petra's going to want kids if she can have them, and I like kids too. It's just complicated with us."

"How is it more complicated for you than it would be for me and Petra?" questioned Hange.

"For starters, there's three of us," Armin obliged. "That could be a confusing arrangement to bring children into."

Hange shrugged. "Bullshit. Haven't you ever heard the phrase: _'it takes a village'_? Three people could raise a child together just as easily as two. More so, I imagine. That's three adults available for that kid...three parents he or she could rely on for feeding, care and guidance. It may not be the societal norm or the ideal family unit for most people, but you can't argue with the efficiency of it."

"Okay, I admit that's a logical conclusion," said Armin, "but what would the child call us if the three of us had one together? Two fathers and one mother could be confusing."

"Don't be silly. Mikasa is 'Mom', Eren would be 'Papa' and you would be 'Dad'. Problem solved."

"But can alpha females even get omega males pregnant?" Mikasa asked softly.

"Of course they can." Hange took out a slim cigar from her jacket pocket, and she walked to the edge of the balcony to light it up so that the smoke wouldn't drift towards her companions. "Some have to try a little harder than average, but the biological process is still the same, so long as the female can maintain a clitoral erection and ejaculate inside the omega male. Do you mean to tell me you've never knotted with anyone, Mikasa?"

"I didn't say that," corrected Mikasa hastily, now blushing like her two companions. "I just wasn't sure if we could impregnate anyone outside female betas and omegas."

"Well good news, it works the same for male omegas." Hange blew a smoke ring, and she turned around to face the trio. "We alpha women might not be hung as well as our male counterparts—well, not _all_ of us—" she smirked, hinting that she was one of the exceptions. "But the core biological process is the same. Obviously there are some differences. We aren't always erect down there even when aroused, so it can take a bit of play or a rut, at times. The chances are doubled if both partners are in a mating cycle, just as they are for alpha males and their omega partners. The biggest challenge a female alpha has in fertilizing her partner is as I said: clitoral erection and ejaculation."

"I...see..." Mikasa made a point of looking up at the sky, obviously as uncomfortable as the rest of them with the subject.

"So the three of you want to try making your own little Ackerman together, someday?" pressed Hange, amused.

"It's a consideration for the future," replied Armin.

Hange looked at the blond. "And how do you think you would feel about it if Eren had Mikasa's baby first? Would you be okay with that? Mikasa, same question. I think you kids should put some serious thought into that before you make long-term plans. I think it's a wonderful relationship you three have together, but make sure there won't be any resentment either way."

"That isn't a concern for us," promised Mikasa. "We aren't planning to do it right away, and it's really up to Eren to decide when and if we start trying together, provided his procedure can be reversed."

"It's going to be our child, the three of us, regardless of who sires it," agreed Armin. He smiled at Eren. "But as Mikasa said, Eren's the one that makes the final decision. We'll support whatever choice he makes."

Hange nodded. "Wise choice. Eren, think on it for a while. Make sure you aren't just reacting to people around you having kids and basing your decision on biological imperative. It's easy to fall into the trap and start wanting a family of your own when people you admire or care about start doing it, but parenthood is something you should make sure you actually want. Just because your mentor is having a kid and Petra and I are planning to try eventually, doesn't mean you have to jump on the bandwagon. Watch out for that baby fever, dear."

Eren nodded. "I know. I'm not in a rush, and even if we do it, it will probably be at least a year before we start trying. First I need to find out if it's even possible, and then we'll think further on it in the future."

"Then I suggest you get the reversal procedure done sooner, rather than later," urged Hange. "You're young and in prime health. It's got a better chance of taking if you do it soon, and if it works, then you can go on birth control and suppressants until you're ready to take advantage of it. If not..."

Hange sighed, and she put out her cigar. "Like I told Petra: if not, there's always adoption."

* * *

While they were out discussing the trio's possible future plans on the balcony, Levi was inside talking to Erwin and Kenny about what they'd found out.

"That one guy in the drawing looked a hell of a lot like you, old geezer," observed Levi. He was sipping at a fresh blood cocktail, having not been quite satisfied enough by the first one.

Kenny evidently figured out which drawing he meant. "Well, it wasn't me. I ain't that old, runt."

"Most likely a direct ancestor," suggested Erwin. He looked at his spouse questioningly, but he didn't say anything.

"What?" pressed Levi. He was still trying to cope with the revelations of the night, and he wasn't in the mood for Erwin's oblique hints. "If you want to ask me something, just ask it."

"I was just thinking about what Armin said, concerning the possibility of reversing vampirism in Ackermans. How did that part of the discussion make you feel, Levi?"

Levi took a deeper swallow of his drink, taking a moment to try and formulate a response to that. He'd felt a tiny little thrill of hope, but there was fear, as well. He didn't enjoy needing to consume blood to live, but he'd been a vampire his whole life. He didn't have any idea what it was like to live as a normal human, without vampire speed, strength or dexterity.

"I doubt it's possible," he said at last, ignoring the way Kenny narrowed his eyes at him thoughtfully. "But let's say for argument's sake it is. There's a positive and a negative to both sides, Erwin. Yeah, I could live a 'normal' life if I could ditch the vampirism. No more blood cocktails, no more biting you to get special nutrients...those are the plus sides of it. On the downside, it's be like being handicapped. Partial sensory loss, a weaker body, slower reflexes...I don't know if I could adjust to it."

Kenny nodded. "No deserters. We're probably all that's left of the family; and I mean our _real_ family, not those backstabbing fuckers calling themselves 'Ackermans' turned on their own kin after the Carvers turned 'em into vampires. It's just us now, Levi. Kill the vampire in you, and ya kill part of yourself and spit on your mama's sacrifice."

Erwin tensed angrily at that last part, but Levi put a hand on his alpha's arm and shook his head. "Harsh, but not incorrect," Levi said. "I can't believe I'm agreeing with him, but the beanpole here has a point. I'm who I am because of _what_ I am, at least partly. Ditching half of that won't make me fit in better. I see the world differently than others, and that isn't gonna change if I become a regular human. Even if it could, I'd always remember that I turned my back on my family...what's left of us, anyhow."

Instead of being disconcerted by his answer, a spark of pride lit Erwin's blue eyes, and he nodded with solemn approval. "Family is important, as are roots."

Levi cocked his head a little, and he had another sip of his drink. Erwin had just tested him, he realized. He wanted to know where Levi stood on the matter, but he'd refrained from trying to influence him in any way. It made Levi wonder how he would have reacted if he'd said he would forsake his vampire heritage to become an ordinary human. Levi had expected his mate to try and sway him the other way, because he had good reason to believe Erwin would want more kids eventually, and having them would be a lot easier on Levi if he didn't face all of these vampire complications in the process.

"Oi, have you two come up with a name for the brat yet?" Kenny asked, interrupting Levi's ponderings.

Erwin answered before Levi could. "We agreed on Lance."

Kenny's face screwed up. "' _Lance'_? Why not just name him 'Spear', while you're at it?"

"Hey, Lance is fine," insisted Levi. "Better than 'Bowen', at least," he added in a mutter.

Kenny smirked. "Bowen? Shit. Yeah, stick with Lance."

"Bowen was my grandfather's name," objected Erwin flatly.

Kenny shrugged. "Ain't my fault your family's full of guys with weird names. 'Bowen', 'Erwin'. I'm afraid to ask what the name pick would have been if it was a girl."

"Kuchel," Levi whispered, lowering his gaze.

Kenny's snarky expression went flat, and he stared at Levi. "Really?"

Levi nodded, feeling a sudden wave of sadness. It was partly due to hormones, he was sure, but this recap on his family history tonight reminded him that he'd lost his mother before he even got to know her. Maybe that was a blessing, but he couldn't help but wonder how differently his life might have turned out if Kuchel had survived to raise him herself. People that knew her—including Kenny—described her as a kind person with an inner strength that surpassed her physical frailty.

Kenny also looked down, betraying a glimpse of nostalgia himself. "Good name for a girl," he finally said. He perked up, falling back into his usual crass behavior, and he clapped Levi roughly on the shoulder. "Well, maybe you'll have a girl next time ya decide to squeeze out a loaf. You can use the name then."

Levi bristled, staggering a little under the older vampire's rough treatment. "What makes you think there's gonna _be_ a next time, asshole?"

Kenny smirked slyly, looking between Levi and Erwin. "'Cause I know you, boy, whether you want to admit it or not. I see the way you look at this guy and he's stoked about this kid. You'll give him at least one more, eventually."

Levi flushed until his ears were pink, and Erwin coughed behind his hand politely, obviously masking amusement. The alpha's piercing gaze was warm with affection on Levi.

"We'll just see what the future holds," said Erwin diplomatically. "For now, we'll concentrate on getting this one safely into the world."

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of chapter recap:
> 
> Levi: (×_×;）"This heat...now I know how our author feels, living in Florida."
> 
> Erwin: "Levi, time for you to stop being an adorable sleepy kitten and wake up. Armin's presentation is starting in under an hour."
> 
> Levi: *yawn* "Why are my shirts so big?"
> 
> Erwin: "Those are my shirts, Levi. Yours are in the drawer next to it." (you're so cute when you're sleepy and confused...)
> 
> Hange: "Uh, don't look at this video I just looked up on my phone, Erwin."
> 
> Erwin: *looks* ( ;ﾟдﾟ)
> 
> Hange: "Damn it, I told you not to look!"
> 
> Erwin: "Levi, we have to move. If we don't, our kid will fall off the balcony to his death or catch on fire or get crushed in an earthquake."
> 
> Levi: (ಠ.ಠ) "You've been talking to Hange again, haven't you?"
> 
> Armin: "Eureka! I've got it now! Everyone gather around for a tale of vampires and betrayal!"
> 
> Erwin: "A bit dramatic, don't you think?"
> 
> Armin: "You're one to talk, sir."
> 
> Kenny: "Are we watching a movie? Where's the fucking popcorn?"
> 
> Eren: *Can't walk into a room without causing a small catastrophe* "I've got the projector...gah!"
> 
> Mikasa: "I've got you. I was ready for that."
> 
> Eren: "Uh, I'll just sit down now."
> 
> Hange: "Wait a minute, so the Ackermans were vampire-slaying vampires? Who knew? That's so ironically amazing!"
> 
> Eren: "I might want to have a baby someday. Hange, could you arrange that?"
> 
> Hange: "Well, you aren't my type but—"
> 
> Mikasa: "He means can you make him fertile again."
> 
> Hange: "Okay, you don't have to glare at me like that. I was teasing."
> 
> Kenny: "Don't kid yourself, Levi. You'll end up with a ton of ankle-biters eventually, 'cause you can't say 'no' to tall, blond and handsome here."
> 
> Levi: (ノ-_-)ノ ~┻━┻ "Shut up, Kenny. Erwin, stop smirking at me. I'll kick both your asses, pregnant or not."


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the kudos and the feedback!

"I am so fucking bored," confessed Levi to his young friend.

He'd practically jumped on it when Eren invited him over to his little apartment to hang out. Eren had been a little surprised that his mentor was so quick to tell him he'd be right over; he'd half-expected Levi to turn down his invitation. He watched Levi thoughtfully as the older omega sipped on the cup of tea Eren had prepared for him. Now in his eighth month of pregnancy and still adjusting to life upstate, poor Levi didn't really get out much. He'd been doing most of his management work from home on the computer, and since he couldn't go out during daylight hours, he was stuck at home most of the time.

"You should try finding a hobby," suggested Eren after a moment's thought.

Levi paused in his sipping. "A hobby?"

Eren nodded, and he sat down across from Levi at his small dining table. He tested the temperature of his hot chocolate with the tip of his finger, and he sucked the sweet liquid off of it when he was satisfied that his drink wasn't too hot. "Yeah. You know, like drawing or painting, photography, wood burning, bead work. Some kind of arts and crafts stuff to keep you busy. You've only got one more month of this to go, and then you should go back to normal and be able to go out in daylight again."

Levi shook his head and grimaced. "I've got no artistic talent, Jaeger. I appreciate the suggestion, though."

"Well, what about writing?" persisted Eren. "You come up with some pretty creative descriptions of things. Maybe you could do something with that. You could write a comic book or something. I know where you can download a free program to build your own. I've been playing around with it myself, and it's pretty fun."

Levi frowned in thought. "Hmm, okay. I'll try that. Anything to get me through this last month without losing my fucking mind."

Eren smiled at him sympathetically. "You're almost there. You've been through worse than boredom before."

"Tch." Levi had another sip of his tea. "Right now, I'd take some of that other shit over these doldrums. I've managed to avoid slipping into a coma from lack of blood nutrients, but this boredom might eventually do the trick, instead."

"I'll text you the link to the site where you can download that comic program," promised Eren. "And hey, I could come out to your place sometime and hang out on one of my night's off. You don't have to drive all the way into town, and maybe this close to your due date, you probably shouldn't."

"Why not?" Levi asked in an annoyed tone. "I'm close to Hange's clinic here than I'd be at home. If something goes wrong, it'd take longer for her to get to me at the manor than it would take for me to go to her clinic from here or for her to come to me."

"Okay, you've got a point there," sighed Eren. He looked at Levi's rounded tummy, and he felt a little twinge of envy. "I still think Mr. Smith was a little too hasty to move out there, given the travel distance and how problematic your pregnancy has been. He should have waited until after the baby came."

"No arguments here," grunted Levi. He rubbed his belly in circular motions. "He just wanted to get us settled in as quickly as possible. At least I convinced the impulsive idiot not to sell his penthouse in the city right away. Erwin's just a really stubborn, decisive man and once he gets a notion in his head, it's hard to change his mind."

Eren chuckled. "I can't believe you went along with it so easily. You must really love that guy."

"He drives me batshit half the time," replied Levi candidly, "but he's a great lay. I let him butter me up a bit with some blow jobs before I agreed to it, so don't think I made it all that easy on him."

Eren laughed outright at that. "Blackmailing for blowjobs. Nice. Is he any good?"

Levi raised a brow and gave the younger man a look that said he had to be joking. "Why else would I trade oral for a move to the middle of nowhere, Eren?"

Eren snorted and snickered. He sipped at his hot chocolate, and he sobered again as his eyes went to Levi's slowly stroking hand over his belly. "Hey Levi, what is it like?"

Levi cocked his head inquisitively.

"Pregnancy," clarified Eren. "And heats. I know your pregnancy isn't the norm, but what does it feel like to grow a person inside of you? Are heats as bad as they say, or do people just exaggerate about them?"

Levi considered the line of questions. "It's hard to describe pregnancy," he said at last, "because it's different at each stage. The first trimester was a real bitch for me. Second one wasn't so bad once I adjusted to the additional limitations it put on me. At least I wasn't puking my guts out every damned morning. This trimester I'm in now isn't too bad, but my sex drive has gone down a bit 'cause I feel like a bloated whale and don't think I'm attractive. No more nausea, but my back and hips ache a lot."

Eren nodded. "Well, if you think you're unattractive, just remember how eager your mate was to suck you off. Did you even have to ask him? I mean, did you say: 'Okay, I'll move if you give me a blowjob a day'?"

"Heh. Nah, I didn't have to suggest it. The blowjobs were all his idea."

Eren spread his hands with a smile. "See? There you go. Erwin obviously doesn't think you're unattractive."

Levi put his hands on his chest suddenly, his brows pinching. "No, he doesn't think I'm unattractive. The fucker has some kind of pregnancy fetish, I think."

Eren's brows shot up. "Huh? What makes you say that?"

Levi seemed to realize he was covering his pecs protectively, and he cleared his throat and dropped his hands with a shake of his head. "Nothing. It isn't important."

Eren shrugged, knowing better than to press the man for information he obviously wasn't willing to share. "So what about being in heat? Is it miserable?"

"It sure as fuck can be, if you don't have someone to relieve it with," admitted the vampire. His eyes unfocused in thought. "But if you've got someone—especially an alpha, the pleasure is mind-blowing."

Eren watched Levi's expression slowly grow blank, and he started to snicker under his breath.

Levi's gaze snapped to attention, focusing on Eren like twin steel blades. "What's so damned funny?"

"You," confessed Eren. "I get the feeling Erwin could be getting lucky tonight. You looked moonstruck just a second ago."

Levi shifted in his seat. "Fucking brat. We haven't screwed in nearly a month because I've gotten so heavy, so I'm entitled to fantasizing a little. Why are you asking me all this, anyhow?"

Eren's amusement faded. A troubled look crossed his face, and he thought of the things he'd discussed with Armin and Mikasa...and later on with Hange on the same night Armin gave his presentation of the Ackerman clan's history.

"Kid, what's on your mind?"

Eren met Levi's gaze again, and he felt warmed by the subtle spark of concern in those normally opaque gray eyes. "I never got the chance to live like an ordinary omega," he murmured solemnly, finding it easy to confide in the older male. "I got sterilized as soon as I hit puberty. Carver did it, and I guess he did such a thorough job that it even wiped out heat cycles. I...I know some omegas think of their heats as a curse, but they've at least experienced it. Sometimes it bothers me...makes me feel incomplete. I might not ever even get the chance to find out first-hand what it's like, or to have a kid of my own. I'm seriously thinking of having Hange try to reverse what was done to me, if only so I have the _opportunity_ to have kids if I decide I want them, some day. I guess I'm a little jealous of you, to be honest."

Levi absorbed what Eren had said, and his thoughts were difficult to read from his neutral expression. After a moment, he set down his tea cup again, and he leaned forward, holding Eren's gaze with his own.

"Look, Eren: what defines who you are isn't your ability to be driven to a mindlessly horny state by a heat cycle. Your value as a person isn't based on whether you can have brats or not, either. Plenty of people could if they wanted to, but they choose not to reproduce. They aren't lesser persons because of it. Life is what _you_ make of it, not what society defines as the norm. We've got assholes left and right having kids they can't even take care of, just because they let biology override their common sense. We've got kids getting abused, starving, neglected, and all because they were born to selfish assholes that had them just because they could but don't have a responsible bone in their bodies. Are you gonna sit here and try to tell me you're a lesser person than these fuckwits just because you might not be able to reproduce?"

Chagrined by Levi's statement, Eren could only stare at him for a moment. This was the deepest conversation he could recall them ever having, and Levi had managed to nail almost every bulletpoint concern in Eren's mind.

"Wow. Sometimes I forget how well you know me," Eren finally said with a sheepish grin.

Levi shrugged nonchalantly. "We've got a connection from all the blood sharing you've done with me. It's not as strong as the pair-bond I've got with Erwin, but it's still deeper than the average friendship."

Eren rubbed the side of his neck self-consciously, where a recently healed bitemark was from the last time Mikasa fed on him. He'd wondered if he was just imagining it getting easier for him to read his girlfriend's moods. "So the more a vampire feeds on someone, the stronger the bond between them gets?"

Levi nodded. "That's why some don't like to feed on the same person more than three times. After that, there can be some attachment issues. It's a double-edged sword. Kenny never feeds on the same person more than once."

"You don't seem to have any worries about it," observed Eren.

"Only when it came to you and Erwin," explained Levi. "I knew I could trust you not to blab about me, and the same goes for Erwin. Plus, he's my mate. The pair-bond between us is stronger than any blood bond could be."

"So you can feel his emotions and he can feel yours?" Eren frowned a little, his thoughts going to another dilemma.

"Yeah. I guess it's nature's way to make it easier for an alpha to find their omega if they get separated, and vice-versa. What's that look on your face for?"

Eren shrugged. "I was just thinking that it could cause some friction in my relationship if I end up mated to Mikasa, that's all. I don't want Armin to feel left out, and I'm sure she doesn't either."

"Arlert is too practical to let that get to him much," predicted Levi. "If you three really want to try having brats together some day, I'm sure blondie knows your best chance in succeeding is to be pair-bonded with your girl. Don't over-think it. I'm sure you guys can work out a compromise when and if the time comes. Like that fucker Carver said to me; an omega doesn't necessarily have to be mated to an alpha or omega to get knocked up by them. It just takes a heat and good timing."

Eren grimaced. "I'm glad he's dead," he whispered.

"Yeah," agreed Levi. "Me too."

* * *

After two long days away from home on business, Erwin returned to the manor with a suitcase in hand. He waved goodbye to Nile as he unlocked the front door and stepped through, and the driver turned around in the circular driveway and drove off.

"Levi, I'm home," called Erwin loudly, closing the door behind him.

He didn't get an answer, but that didn't surprise him. The sun was just setting, so his mate might not be up yet. Guessing he'd find Levi in the master bedroom upstairs, Erwin traversed the flights of stairs. He passed down the hallway, and he nearly walked by the study on his way to the bedroom when he realized their was a lamp on in there. He backed up and peaked in to find Levi sitting at the desk, typing away on his laptop computer. Erwin smiled at the sight of his mate, guessing Levi must be working on the club payroll or dancer schedules. He put his suitcase down just inside the doorway, and he approached Levi. The omega seemed absorbed in his work, and he didn't notice Erwin until the alpha was almost to the desk.

Levi gave a little start, and he paused his typing to look up at Erwin, sniffing the blond's scent in the air. "Hey. Did you get everything settled?"

Erwin nodded, and he circled around behind the desk and bent over his seated partner. He rubbed Levi's shoulders and kissed the crown of his head. "Yes. The deal went through without a hitch, and the syndicate has two new investments in Mitras. Our territory is expanding nicely."

Levi nodded, and he resumed typing. "Good. I've got a roast baking in the oven for you. I'll go check on it in a minute; I just want to finish this page I'm working on."

Erwin looked at the screen, and he narrowed his eyes curiously as he realized that it wasn't the typical scheduling program or spreadsheet he was used to seeing Levi working on. Instead, it appeared to be a comic book. Levi was typing some text into a chat bubble on the panel he'd selected, hovering over a rotund cartoon character with what looked like fume squiggles coming off of him.

A little baffled, Erwin had a closer look, and he read the title page at the top of the document aloud. "' _Smelly Stan and his Shitty Adventures'._ " The blond blinked, his thick brows going up. "What in the world?"

Levi finished typing the exclamation into the chat bubble, and he twisted in his seat a little and craned his neck to look up at Erwin. "It's a comic book. Eren came up with the idea and sent me the link to the program. He said I should try finding a hobby to occupy my time, so I've been working on this and a short story."

As amused as he was surprised, Erwin coughed into his hand. Only Levi could come up with such a vulgar name for a comic. "W-what does Smelly Stan do, then?"

Levi shrugged. "Fights crime with flatulence."

Erwin had to turn away. His broad shoulders trembled as he fought the impulse to snicker out loud. "Levi, has anyone ever told you that you have a strange obsession with bowel functions?"

"All the time."

Erwin turned back around to look at him, and he found Levi smirking at him. "You ought to see the title of my book."

"Dare I ask?" Erwin's mouth twitched.

"It's called: _'Shit Happens, so Buckle Up'._ That one's a non-fiction. The comic I just started on today."

"I...see."

Erwin lost the battle to maintain his composure, then. He snorted with laughter, and he pardoned himself when Levi raised a brow at him. "Ahem. Well, I'm glad to see that you've found something to keep yourself entertained with. I can't wait to see the finished product."

Worried that he might hurt Levi's feelings or irritate him if he continued to laugh about it, Erwin reined in his mirth and tactfully changed the subject. He approached his mate again, and he bent over him to kiss him on the cheek. He settled a hand on the omega's baby bump, rubbing it gently. "Hange called me while I was waiting to board my flight home at the airport. She said that she gave you an examination today? I didn't get the details because I had to end the call and turn my phone off. How did it go?"

"Fine." Levi settled a hand over the one rubbing his belly. "The baby's healthy and my weight is good. Hange's predicting he's gonna be a nine-pounder, though. Thanks a lot, you giant."

Erwin smiled. "I thought perhaps your size would balance mine out." His smile faded as some concern grew within him. "Does Hange think you'll need a cesarean?"

"Dunno," admitted Levi. "She says it's a possibility, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Shitty-glasses is counting on my vampire strength to get me through childbirth without going under the knife, so we'll see."

Erwin nodded, and he kissed the side of Levi's neck, inhaling his scent. "Why don't you go ahead and get the shower started, while I go downstairs and check on the roast? I'll join you after that."

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Levi.

* * *

After dinner, the couple sat outside for a while to watch the stars together. Seated on the patio couch by the pool, Levi was lying back against his spouse, situated between Erwin's thighs. The bigger man reclined sidelong with a cushion propped behind him for support, and he rubbed Levi's belly gently.

"He's moving," whispered Erwin suddenly, as if afraid speaking too loud might cause the activity beneath his hands to stop.

Levi nodded. "Yeah, he gets more active at night, lately. I think Lance is as eager to get born as I am to get him out of me."

Erwin smiled against Levi's temple. "It won't be long now. You've done an amazing job carrying him, Levi. I'm grateful."

Warmed by those words in spite of himself, Levi thought on what Kenny had said about eventually having more kids. He didn't know if he could go through with it, but he wasn't completely banishing the idea. He felt like they'd gotten lucky with this one. The next one, should they try again, might not be so fortunate. He'd come very close to losing the baby in the beginning, and as much as he insisted he'd never wanted a family, Levi admitted to himself that he wouldn't cope well with a miscarriage.

"Erwin, how bad do you want more kids?" Levi turned his head to look back at his companion, meeting the bright blue gaze with his own.

"I haven't put that much thought into it," admitted the blond. "I've been focused on seeing this one born."

Erwin cupped Levi's chin, and he kissed him. "You've come through like a trooper, and if we never have another child, so be it. We can revisit the subject another time, after this baby comes."

His answer satisfied Levi well enough. He hoped that Erwin would still feel the same if he decided he couldn't go through this again. Levi was too indecisive right now. It seemed to him that he'd been suffering a lot of that over the past few months, worrying about things that weren't in the here and now.

"Oh yeah, I tried one of those aptitude tests online last night," informed Levi after a moment, remembering what else he'd meant to talk to Erwin about.

"Oh? What were the results?"

Levi shrugged. "Nothing really definitive. It seems to be pointing me toward business more than anything else. I guess that's not too surprising, since I've been managing the club for a while."

"I see." Erwin thought on it for a moment, nuzzling the smaller man's hair affectionately. "Well, perhaps you could just keep doing that for a while, and take a few online classes while you're doing it if you like. You _are_ good at it, and we've already established that it's possible for you to do it from home. Maybe you can stick with it until the baby is older, and if you want to expand further from there, we can look into additional options."

Levi frowned a little. "You mean be stuck at home all the time?" He shook his head. "Hey, I get that I can't take our kid into town on my motorcycle or bring him into the club. I wouldn't be that irresponsible. I know I'll have to stay at home for a while even after Lance comes, but once he's old enough and we've got a routine established, I'm gonna want to get out once in a while."

"I understand that, Levi," assured Erwin softly, "and I'll do my best to help you with that. When you've stopped nursing and we can be sure of his nutritional requirements, I can work from home a few days a week to give you a chance to get out of the house. I know you've been going stir crazy, and I don't want you to be miserable. I'm only offering suggestions to make things easier on you."

Levi relaxed a bit. He knew Erwin still wasn't really on board with the idea of him returning to the stage, but he had to admit the man was trying to be supportive. With the exception of when he was feeling horny, Erwin was generally a patient sort of man.

"Not long now," sighed Levi, resting his hand over the larger one on his stomach. It might be a while even after the birth before he regained some measure of freedom, but he trusted Erwin to do his part and not leave all the grunt work up to him.

* * *

Nearly two weeks later, Eren was on his way out to Levi's for an evening visit, eager to show off the new car he'd finally bought. Actually it was a used car, but it was Eren's very first automobile and he was quite proud of it. Only three years old, it was a metallic forest green two-door hatchback. He almost got a sportier car, but decided against it because it was a manual. Mikasa had taught him how to drive a stick-shift, but he wasn't that great at it, and he thought an automatic would be better for his first car.

Smiling from ear to ear as he drove along the stretch of road leading out of city limits, Eren blasted his stereo and opened up the sunroof. The wind whipped his thick brown hair around, and the warm night air felt good against his skin. The young dancer gave a start when his phone—connected to his stereo so he could play his music—interrupted the pop song he was listening to with the ring tone he'd assigned to Levi's number.

Eren disconnected the phone from the car stereo, turned the volume knob down and answered it, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Hey Levi. My navigator thingy says I should be there in about seven minutes. Sorry I'm a little late."

There was heavy breathing on the other line, and Eren frowned. "Levi? Can you hear me?"

"Yeah," wheezed the other man, "I hear you. Drive faster, Eren."

"What's wrong?" Eren got the horrible feeling that he already knew what was wrong, though. The way Levi started sucking in quick, short breaths was a sure indicator. Eren had gone to a couple of night classes for birthing with him when Erwin couldn't make it, and he was familiar with the breathing exercises.

"I'm having contractions," confirmed Levi tightly. "Might be false labor, but...need to get to Hange's clinic to be sure."

Eren almost slammed on his breaks, but he caught himself. "Shit, Levi! Can't Hange come out to your place?"

"It'd take her longer to get...here than...it'd take you to get me there," explained Levi. "She's all the way by the...harbor. Said she'd meet us at the clinic. All her...equipment's there. Her helper's on...his way. Just...hurry."

"I'm hurrying," promised Eren. "Have you called Erwin?"

"Texted him," answered Levi. "He was...in a meeting. He's on his way, but he's...pretty far away too. House guards offered to...take me, but I'd rather them just follow."

Eren clenched his jaw. He appreciated that his mentor would rather ride with him than with the guards, but now wasn't the time for Levi to nitpick over whose car he rode in. He almost said as much, but he knew Levi well enough to know it would just cause a pointless argument.

"Just stay on the phone with me, sir. I'm almost there."

Actually, Eren nearly passed the long driveway leading up to the manor. He'd started speeding more than he realized and his tires skidded as he braked with a curse. "Uh, make that 'here now'," corrected Eren.

He pulled up into the driveway, nearly crashing into one of the topiaries lining it. He came to a stop as the double door entry opened up, and he kept his engine running as he hung up the phone, undid his seatbelt and got out of the car. Levi came out of the house with one of Erwin's hired bodyguards supporting him. The omega shuffled down the steps with the alpha male's help, clutching his belly and gasping in pain. Eren yanked the passenger door open, but instead of getting right in, Levi shook open a quilt he'd brought out with him, tucked under one arm.

"What's that for?" Eren asked anxiously, watching as Levi put the quilt over the passenger seat.

"Just...in case," grunted Levi. "Don't want to fuck up your upholstery if my...water breaks."

Eren nearly threw his arms up. "Screw my upholstery! You're having a baby!"

"Not right this minute," snapped Levi, "and I'm not sitting in a wet spot all...the way there if I do leak. Don't fucking argue."

Eren groaned, and he hastily helped Levi with his task so that he could get him in the car faster. The guard that escorted Levi hurried to a sedan parked near the garage once the pregnant omega was inside Eren's vehicle, and another guy came out of the house and jumped in with him. Eren got in, and he turned his key thoughtlessly, forgetting the engine was already cranked. He winced at the sound of protest his engine made, cast an apologetic look at his companion, and then threw the car into reverse.

"Watch out for the mailbox," cautioned Levi tightly when Eren narrowly missed cleaning it up. "Shit, maybe I should drive. The contraction's stopping."

"But if you're going into labor, you'll get another one," reminded Eren grimly. He got onto the road and he gunned it, keeping both hands on the wheel. His eyes were huge and panicked in his face. "Levi, can you put the clinic's address in my GPS? I've gotta concentrate on the road."

"Fine." Levi fooled with the navigation device until he got the address dialed in. "Just don't get us killed."

"You're the one that wanted me to drive you," reminded Eren tensely, forgetting to be respectful in his panic. Sixty-five, seventy, eighty...his speedometer didn't go past eighty, but Eren could guess they must be hitting at least ninety when the needle shook at the eighty mph mark.

"Eren, slow down a little," ordered Levi, twisting around in his seat to look behind them. "You're losing Erwin's guys."

Frankly, Eren didn't give a damn whether the guards could keep up with them or not. When he hit a bump that jostled Levi to the point of hitting his shoulder on the door, however, the younger omega eased up on the gas. "H-how is it now, Levi? Do you feel another contraction coming on?"

"Not yet," answered the older man. "Just try to keep calm, brat. Hurry, but don't get reckless."

Eren swallowed hard, fighting back his anxiety as best he could. Road signs and lights flashed by in a blur as they got closer to the city limits. At the speed he was going, Eren was cutting the ETA in half, but it still felt like it was taking too long. Levi started having another contraction just as they made it to the city limits sign, and he gripped the edges of the seats as he breathed through it. Eren started to take one hand off the wheel to offer it to Levi to squeeze, but then a car passed him that he recognized. He caught a glimpse of Erwin's profile as they passed one another, and Eren began to frantically beep his horn and flash his brights. The luxury sedan braked, spun around on the road behind them and fishtailed a bit before straightening up and following them.

"Erwin's behind us, Levi," announced Eren. The man must have jumped into his car without waiting for his driver, and he had to have been driving at top speed to cross paths with them so quickly. The other sedan carrying the guards was between Erwin and Eren's cars.

Levi nodded, evidently at the peak of his contraction and unable to speak. After a few moments it seemed to fade again, and Levi groaned with relief. They were heading over the bridge into town now, and depending on traffic, they would be arriving at Hange's clinic within twenty minutes.

* * *

The baby was definitely coming. Hange confirmed it as soon as they got Levi into the delivery room. They got Levi set up for the birth, and Moblit prepped surgical instruments in another room just in case they had to use them, while Hange stayed with Levi and Erwin to help deliver the baby. Levi had hoped that it would go fast and be over with before the night was through, but luck wasn't with him. His water didn't break until the dark hours before dawn, and the profanities streaming from his mouth would have been enough to make a sailor blush.

"Breathe, Levi. Just as we trained."

It took everything Levi had in him to refrain from screaming at Erwin to stop telling him to breathe. Yes, they'd researched the hell out of this. They'd planned for this moment, trained like soldiers together, prepared for it as well as they possibly could. It wasn't enough, though. Not all the preparation in the world could have braced him for the severity of this pain. He'd read other accounts of what childbirth was like, both from the perspective of women and other male omegas.

"It's like trying to have...the biggest shit...ever," grunted Levi when the latest contraction died down enough for him to catch his breath. Sweating profusely, he fell back against the pillow. The respite between contractions were getting smaller and smaller, and the contractions themselves were getting more intense with each new one.

"You can start bearing down," announced Hange after having another look to check on Levi's progress. "Did you want to try getting into the birthing position we discussed, Levi?"

It took Levi a moment to comprehend what she was saying. Supposedly, some male omegas found it easier to give birth on their hands and knees. Others claimed squatting was better. Levi didn't particularly believe any position he tried was going to make this go any better, but he sure as hell wasn't enjoying being flat on his back.

"Fine. Help me, Erwin."

The blond immediately assisted Levi to sit up, roll over and get on his hands and knees. Erwin wiped the sweat from Levi's brow as the omega tried to brace himself for the next wave of birthing pain. Those people that claimed to give birth within two or three hours of labor were either liars or lucky little shits. Then again, those people probably weren't trying to give birth to a child with half the genetics of a fucking giant. Erwin was exceptionally tall and powerfully built. That combined with Levi's small size was a factor in why he was having such a hard time getting this kid out of him.

"Ah, shit," moaned Levi when his belly started locking up again with another contraction.

"Can he have something more for the pain?" Erwin requested of Hange, helplessly watching Levi as he bit down on the mouth piece he'd been given. It was designed mostly to stop people from grinding their teeth in their sleep, but it served him well as a bit, preventing him from accidentally chewing through his lips with his fangs.

Levi shook his head before Hange could answer, squeezing his eyes shut. He mumbled around his mouth piece, somehow answering coherently enough for his mate to understand him.

"Nuf. It mafes pushing harder!"

Erwin rubbed Levi's back in a circular motion, doing his best to sooth him. He reached under with his other hand to splay it over the omega's straining belly. Levi looked at him again, and he swore he'd never seen this man look so anxious before. Understandable. Erwin was about to become a dad for the first time, a thing which he'd once expressed to Levi he never planned to see happen. He also more than likely could sense Levi's agony, and the underlying fear that the laboring man was trying so hard to conceal.

"Feel something...different," gasped Levi. It was burning. He could feel himself stretching, and something was starting to come out. He hoped to hell it was the baby, and not his guts. "Four-eyes?"

"The head is crowning," confirmed Hange. "Keep pushing, Levi! You're getting there."

Erwin was smiling with excitement now, though by Levi's firm request, he refrained from looking below the omega's waist during this event. The alpha added his own encouragement to Hange's.

"You're doing very well. You can do this, Levi. You're amazing."

Levi couldn't find the breath to admonish his alpha for spouting off so much ass-kissing drivel. All he could concentrate on now was getting this baby _out_ of him, before it split him in two. He growled, and the sound morphed into a high-pitched, humiliating whine. He felt Erwin kissing the side of his sweaty face, vaguely felt his hands steadily rubbing his stomach and lower back. The contraction tapered off before Levi could even get the baby's head out, and he wanted to yell with frustration.

"Easy," advised Hange when Levi kept trying to push. "Wait for the next one, Levi. I know you want it over with, but it will go much easier on both you and the child if you push with the contractions. Just catch your breath and wait for the next one."

"Fuck you," snarled Levi around the mouth piece. Now in addition to his extreme discomfort, he'd started to cry like a fucking baby. The tears were rolling down his cheeks, trickling out from under the sunglasses he was wearing due to his light sensitivity.

"Here, Levi. Ice chips."

Levi turned his head when he heard his mate make the offering, and he opened his mouth to let Erwin take out his bit and feed him a couple of the blessedly cool chips. He sucked on them for hydration, dreading the next contraction while welcoming it at the same time. They were nearly there. He just had to endure it for a while longer and get this kid into the world.

When the next contraction hit, Levi could no longer hold back a primal scream.

* * *

Down the hall in the waiting room, Petra impulsively jumped up from her seat when she heard Levi's birthing scream. Wide-eyed, she started to head toward the room they'd put him in, but Nanaba stopped her gently, shaking her head as she put an arm around the worried ginger.

"Screaming is normal during childbirth; especially if it's a hard one," reminded Nanaba.

"But it's _Levi_ ," argued Petra, still looking down the corridor with open concern. "He never screams like that."

Kenny snorted. "You never met him as a kid. The brat could be quite the screamer, back in those days."

Still, even Kenny winced when yet another cry of agony came from the delivery room. He too glanced down the hallway with a frown, faltering a little. "'course, I never heard him scream after hitting puberty. Must be having a tougher time than I thought."

Eren was fidgeting nervously. "It's got to be bad for him to make noises like that."

"There's nothing we can do for him," Nanaba reasoned. "He has Erwin at his side and the best omega birth specialist the boss could afford. Levi is strong. He'll get through this."

Historia snuggled up against Ymir, looking just as anxious as Petra. "But he's been in labor since last night! Couldn't they do a cesarean?"

"We don't want to do that unless it's absolutely necessary," explained Moblit, who had come out to join them until he was otherwise needed. "Hange said the baby's positioned right, and she thinks Levi can do it without surgery. Trust me, it's better if he can."

"He's got to be exhausted, though," sighed Petra.

"And you want to do this yourself someday," yawned Hitch, half-asleep in her chair. "Good luck on that."

* * *

It took another hour of swearing, straining and yelling for Levi to finally succeed in bringing their son into the world. Erwin could hardly believe it when he heard the first thin, high wail from Lance. The sound startled Erwin so much that he jumped. With one hand supportively rubbing his collapsed husband's back, Erwin leaned to the right to see Hange lift the baby carefully. The child was so covered in gore that it was impossible to tell what color his hair was. The one thing Erwin could see was that Lance had inherited Levi's nose shape, and for that, he was grateful. Hange cleaned the baby up and clamped the umbilical cord. As Erwin helped Levi to roll onto his back and get comfortable, Hange brought the infant to Levi with a grin.

"Say hello to Grumpy Junior, Levi. Do you have the strength to hold him?" asked Hange as Levi stared at the baby.

He wordlessly reached out, still panting tiredly. "Erwin, take my glasses off for me."

The alpha immediately complied, gently lifting the shades off his mate's face. Erwin put the sunglasses aside and he watched Levi cradle their son.

"He's disgusting," Levi said candidly.

Erwin laughed softly. "Well, Hange hasn't finished cleaning him up entirely. Don't look at the lingering mess, Levi. Look at our child."

Levi did look, and as Erwin watched with amazement, a tiny, hesitant smile made an appearance on the omega's lips. He said nothing, afraid to spoil the moment by calling it to Levi's attention. He wished he could snap a picture before that sweet smile was gone, but he hadn't brought his cell phone in the room with him.

"We need a few moments alone with him," Levi said softly, still staring at the baby squirming in his arms. He wasn't a small infant for certain, but he wasn't overweight, either.

"Just for a little while," advised Hange, "and then we need to clear the afterbirth and get you both cleaned up good. We aren't _quite_ done yet."

Levi sighed, but he nodded. When Hange left the room and shut the door, Levi looked up at Erwin. "You know what he needs."

Erwin nodded. "As we discussed."

He rolled back his sleeve, and he held his wrist out, bringing it to Levi's mouth. He tensed slightly as his mate let his fangs drop and bit him—not on the wrist as he'd expected, but on the pad of Erwin's thumb. The puncture was neat and efficient, the sting fading almost immediately. Erwin offered his bleeding thumb to their child. At first, Lance didn't seem to want to take it, but then Levi stroked the infant's flushed cheek, and the baby opened his mouth. Lance's whimpers died down as he began to suck on Erwin's thumb, taking in the essential nutrients from him that he was going to need for his entire life.

"It won't take much," Levi murmured, also watching their baby feed. "But he'll need it often, just like regular feedings. We could just add it to his formula to start out, and then go from there."

Erwin glanced up from his task at Levi's pale face. He'd forgotten: Levi had agreed to nurse for the first month for the baby's base nutritional needs, but he wanted to switch to the bottle after that. It wasn't simply for Levi's convenience; their son needed special attention. What Erwin hadn't realized until now was Levi's intention to go with artificial formula once he put Lance on the bottle. He understood the need to add blood to the child's diet without making it obvious to anyone. Blending it with milk in the bottle made sense, and would ensure that Lance got everything he needed to thrive and grow strong.

"If we're going to stick with the bottle plan, wouldn't it be better for him if you pumped?" suggested the alpha. He glanced down at Levi's chest, concealed beneath the hospital gown he was wearing. He could see two damp spots on the material where Levi's nipples were.

"Oi, we talked about this," reminded Levi. "Don't you remember? Sometimes nursing doesn't work, and that's the angle we'll use if anyone asks why we're bottle-feeding. People might wonder why the hell I don't just give him my tit instead of pumping into a bottle. It's not like I've got a busy enough schedule these days to claim I don't have the time to give him my milk directly."

"I...see." Erwin had forgotten about that particular detail in their feeding plans. There had just been so much to research and prepare for, some details were harder to remember. "I suppose that's sound enough logic. I just feel if you can make it work, you should try to keep him on your milk for as long as possible, even if it's through a bottle."

Levi reached for the bed controls to lift the head, making it easier for him to lay back and still hold the baby upright. "We can discuss it again later. Just remember omega males are prone to stop lactating sooner than women. I might not even be able to make enough milk to nurse him for a month, like we planned. Trust me, I'm not trying to rob the kid of anything. I want him healthy just as much as you do."

The baby in question seemed to have gotten his fill of blood nutrients. He was now gumming Erwin's thumb, but no longer sucking on it. Erwin retracted the digit from Lance's mouth, smiling down at him. He looked at Levi again, taking note of his pallor and the dark shadows under his eyes. Erwin leaned in to kiss his omega on the forehead, deciding that now wasn't the time to debate the matter or put pressure on Levi.

"You did very well," complimented Erwin softly.

"Stay close while I try nursing him," Levi yawned. "Having this kid really kicked my ass, and I don't want to pass out and drop him while I'm feeding him."

"Of course." Erwin watched and Levi unsnapped the buttons holding the front of his gown closed to expose a flushed nipple, and something dawned on him as he rubbed the spot on his thumb where the vampire's fang had punctured it. "Er, Levi, I won't complain if you don't want to nurse for longer than you deem necessary. I never considered how painful that could get for you."

Levi gave him a slight frown, and he positioned the baby closer to his goal. "It can be painful for a lot of people. We looked all that up. Worry about that if mine start getting cracked or enflamed. Right now they're just a little sore because I need to express some milk."

"I meant...Lance's teeth," elaborated Erwin. He winced at the thought of a sharp little fang piercing his mate's tender nipples.

Levi smirked at him. "He doesn't _have_ any teeth right now, idiot. His fangs won't start developing until around the age of five, either. I sure as hell won't be nursing him by then."

Erwin flushed with embarrassment. "Oh. Right."

Levi jerked a little when the baby latched on, and then he relaxed and looked down at the dark head nestled against his chest. "Hey, there's still a lot to learn," he excused, fighting another yawn. "It's been a long day for both of us, too. I don't think I ever told you when vamp kids get their fangs, either."

"No, you didn't," agreed Erwin. He watched the infant nurse, taking in little details about him. When Lance opened his eyes to look up at Levi, they both noticed the vivid blue of them.

"Heh. He's got your eyes. That's good."

Erwin smiled. "Is it?"

Levi nodded, and yet another yawn broke free. "Yeah, I like your eyes. I wonder if his hair will stay black, or if it'll fall out and come back in blond like yours?"

"I suppose we'll just have to wait and see," mused Erwin. "Either way, he's beautiful, like his father."

Levi looked up at the alpha. "Can you feel this through our pair-bond link? I mean, what I'm feeling while he's nursing."

Erwin considered it. Now that it was mentioned, he did detect a faint tingle. "It's very subtle, if I'm not imagining things. I do feel something, though."

"What about when I was in labor? Did you feel all of that? I couldn't tell if you were just nervous that it was happening or feeling some of my labor pains."

"I suffered some cramping," admitted Erwin. "It surely was nothing in comparison to what you were going through. Your suffering was what I was picking up on the most, and that was worse than any discomfort I was getting through our bond."

"Hmm. That's too bad." Levi's eyes drifted shut, and his head lolled against the pillow. "I think alphas should feel every damned contraction we have, just so they can appreciate what we go through having their brats."

"I _do_ appreciate it," Erwin was quick to assure him. He stroked Levi's sweat-matted hair. "Even if I couldn't suffer through all of it with you."

Erwin climbed carefully onto the bed beside Levi, unable to do more than half-sit on it due to the lack of room. He put an arm around Levi, urging him to rest against him as the baby nursed.

"You can go to sleep. I've got you both."

Levi hummed softly, and his head drooped as he dozed off right away.

* * *

"They're both doing well," Hange assured everyone remaining in the waiting room, some time later.

Petra, Eren, Kenny and Nanaba were the only ones that stayed when it dragged on too late, and Kenny was sprawled in one of the chairs with his feet propped in another one, snoring softly with his hat covering his eyes. Hange nudged the club manager with her foot.

"Hey Kenny, wake up. You're a great uncle."

Kenny snorted, jerked upright and started reaching for his knives. "Eh? What happened?"

"Levi had the baby," clarified Hange. "Put those things away before you neuter yourself. Geez, how much whiskey have you been sneaking since you got here? You smell like the bottom of a bottle."

Kenny took his hands off the handles of the knives he kept sheathed in his belt, and he rubbed his face to clear it. He checked the flask also attached to his belt, and he shrugged. "Hey, I got bored. So the runt made it through all right, huh? The rugrat's okay?"

"They're both just fine. Levi is resting, and he's on the mend. I gave him a blood transfusion. I want to keep him and the baby under observation for a day as a precaution, but they should be able to go home tomorrow."

"Long night," yawned Eren, but he was smiling with relief. "I think the sun's coming up, too."

"Probably," agreed Hange, "so you should all go home and get some rest. Moblit and I will keep an eye on them, and I doubt Erwin will leave their sides. Nanaba, does Mike have today's business covered?"

"Yes, he'll cover for Erwin, and Ness is going to help him," confirmed the beta woman. "Tell the boss not to worry about anything and just enjoy being a new dad."

"All right, then," said Hange with a tired smile and a little stretch. She bent over to give Petra a kiss. "I'll wake Moblit up in a little while so he can take over observation for me. First I want to double check some numbers and make sure I didn't miss anything with the blood tests."

"Hange, couldn't I stay?" Petra asked as everyone started getting up to leave. "I could help. You have to be tired, too."

Hange hesitated. Petra didn't know about the vampirism. Those that weren't in on the secret had been told that Levi had developed a sleeping disorder, sensitivity to light and an allergy to silver due to a rare condition caused by his pregnancy. Levi apparently wanted to keep it that way if he could, and Hange had promised to respect that. It was one of the reasons Levi had insisted on riding with Eren to the clinic, because he didn't want his eyes or teeth to give things away to any of the guards.

"That's very sweet of you, my dear," said Hange tactfully after a moment's thought, "but I'm going to have a power nap in a little while when Moblit takes over for me. There's really not much to do, and what Levi needs the most right now is plenty of rest."

Petra appeared slightly crestfallen. "Will these complications he's been having go away eventually?"

"We've got every reason to believe they will," assured Hange. "Right now, you should just go home and get some sleep. I'll text you when I'm satisfied they can go home, and I'm sure Erwin and Levi would be fine with you coming to their place and seeing the baby once they've settled back in."

"Okay, I understand." Petra hugged her. "Just let me know the minute you need anything, okay?"

Hange smiled against the dancer's hair. "Of course I will."

* * *

\- To be continued


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Lactation kink in this chapter. In case anyone finds that kind of thing disturbing to read, it starts shortly after Erwin gets home with the groceries.

Erwin was over the moon. He really could not have been a happier man, and he cherished the turn his life had taken, knowing that such contentment had to be a fleeting thing. He spoiled both his mate and his new son as much as humanly possible. While recovering from childbirth, Levi got breakfast in bed each morning with a doctored up blood cocktail decorated with a little paper umbrella and a wedge of lime. Erwin mimicked Lance's baby coo's and made funny faces at him, and he was proud to invoke the infant's first smile. Levi told him he was becoming a big softy, and while his tone was teasing when he said it, there was some concern brimming his pale eyes.

Erwin had to reassure his spouse that he wasn't going to go so soft that he might get careless in his dealings. He could sense the quiet worry behind Levi's digs, and he understood why. As a mafia boss, he really couldn't afford to let his guard down. While Mike was doing a great job taking over the lion's share of Erwin's personal business duties while he adjusted to parenthood, he couldn't be expected to take care of all of it forever. Three months after Lance's birth, Erwin reluctantly took over the wheel again as the syndicate boss. He did his best to do most of his dealings from home, but some things required his physical presence.

Hange got onto Erwin a couple of times when thoughts of Levi nursing their little son dominated Erwin's mind. He'd snapped a couple of pictures of it on his phone, and he found himself showing them off to people. While his associates expressed congratulatory politeness over his gushing, Erwin found that they tried to slip some extra things by him and get away with more than he would usually allow. People were quick to try and take advantage of his blissful state of mind, making assumptions that he was easier to swindle, now that he was distracted with family matters and utter devotion to his mate.

"Erwin," Hange told him after one particular meeting on a Friday afternoon, "don't make me be the one to explain to Levi why we're burying you."

He shot her a surprised look, operating on his immediate impulse. "Why do you think you would have to...oh."

Erwin then realized what a lovesick fool he was being. Levi had changed him, though not intentionally. When his thoughts were once focused only on business, they were now dominated by the omega he'd fallen in love with and the child they'd made together.

"Have I really been that bad?"

"For you, yes," she answered without apology, crossing her arms over her chest. She winked at him. "You're completely twitterpated, big guy. None of us can fault you for that, of course. This is an exciting chapter in your life, and I expected you to need an adjustment period to being a new parent, but we've all noticed how distracted you've been. Since everyone else is too chickenshit to say something, I'm taking it upon myself to poke the bear before you do something too reckless and end up shot again."

Erwin felt his face grow hot. It was utterly unlike him to be so careless. "Perhaps I should have you and Mike take care of direct dealings with our associates, until I level out more."

Hange nodded agreeably. "I'm glad you said that. I was considering suggesting that myself, but I didn't want to push my luck too far."

Erwin sighed, and he combed his fingers through his hair, inadvertently mussing the normally immaculate style. "You're only looking out for me, and that's part of your job as one of my captains. At the very least, I can count on you and Mike to keep me grounded. I'll take over most of the background work and leave personal business negotiations up to the two of you for a while."

"I think that would be a wise move." Hange patted him on the arm. "Spend more time with your family, Erwin. I don't mind taking on a little extra work. I'm sure one day I'll be in the same boat as you, and you can return the favor."

He smirked at her. "Have you and Petra finally decided on a date to be wed?"

Hange turned on her electric tablet and checked her calendar. "We're looking at mid-October, right now. Probably sometime after your birthday. Of course, we may bump it forward or back a month, depending on how busy things get."

Erwin nodded. "Well, let me know when you've confirmed the date. I would like to throw you an engagement party."

She grinned at him. "You don't have to do that, Erwin."

"Of course I do," he insisted. "It isn't every day that one of my top captains gets married. Do you plan to start trying for kids immediately?"

Hange's expression fell a bit, and she nibbled her lower lip. "I'm sure Petra will want to, but that's the part that makes me a little nervous. I can't guarantee that I'll succeed in the reversal procedure when she's ready to start trying. I don't want to let her down."

"I've never known you to fail at anything you set your mind to," he assured her, "and you have more personal reasons in this endeavor than ever before."

"And more pressure than ever before," she pointed out. "I would almost rather someone else do this operation on her, but then I would have to kill them if something went wrong and they did more harm than good. At least if it's me doing the surgery, I'll have only myself to blame if I screw it up."

Erwin could appreciate that sentiment. When it came to higher stakes, he tended to prefer to be the one taking the risks, rather than off-loading it on someone else. "Hange, you're going to do just fine. Have faith in yourself."

"I'll try. I just hope Petra remembers that I'm not a miracle worker, and this procedure has at least a twenty-percent chance of failing regardless of how skilled the surgeon is. She may have to settle for trying to adopt, and that alone is going to be a pain in the ass with our career choices. I doubt an agency would be too keen on approving a known gangster and a stripper, so we may have to try for a closed adoption, if it comes to that."

"Records can be altered," reminded Erwin. "You of all people know that. We can find a way to get around the adoption criteria if we have to."

"Yes we can, but if we get caught, it's game over," she sighed. "I may be able to cheat the system, but if they ever figure it out, afterwards, they'll come and take the baby from us. I don't want either of us to get attached to the little guy or girl only to have the authorities come to our door one day and take the kid from us. Petra would be so heartbroken. I think that would be more damaging to her than finding out she can never get pregnant."

"I understand your concern," said Erwin with a small frown. Now that he had a son of his own, he could imagine how devastating it would be to lose him. "Just focus on what's here and now, Hange. You may not have to worry about adopting, so cross that bridge when you come to it."

"Right," she agreed. "I shouldn't be obsessing over something that hasn't even happened yet. Thanks, boss."

Erwin smiled. One good turn deserved another, and it was as much his job to support his underlings as it was theirs to support him.

* * *

Everyone came by to leave gifts and cards for the new parents and to see the baby, but nobody lingered for long, giving Levi his space and time to rest and bond with his newest family member. While Erwin had stocked up on a decent blood supply to ensure his mate got enough of it during his pregnancy, he took it upon himself to give their son his own fresh blood whenever he needed it added to his milk for his unique nutritional needs. Erwin mainly worked from home for the first month after Lance's arrival as Hange had suggested, afraid to leave his mate or child alone for very long. When he felt Lance was strong and healthy enough for Levi to care for him on his own, he resumed taking a more hands-on approach to his syndicate's business.

Levi, however, decided to remain at home for the first few months, handling all of the club's financial management and budget through his computer. He'd finally made the decision not to return to dancing, though he still helped the girls improve their skills when they asked for pointers. That chapter in his life was over with, and while he got back into his fitness routine as soon as the doctor okayed it, the only one Levi danced for now was Erwin.

Lance was doing well. The hair he'd been born with shed over time, and just as Levi wondered if it would, it came back thick and blond like Erwin's. That was fine by Levi, though Erwin had hoped that he would keep Levi's raven tone of hair. The most important thing was that they were able to see to all of Lance's needs and keep him healthy. Meanwhile, Levi was still writing when not doing club management, and his satirical comic book had done so well he was working on the third issue of it. He thought he might have found a decent hobby that would bring in some money to make up for what he was missing out on by not dancing anymore, and he finally decided to sign up for an online writing course to hone his skills. Everything seemed to be working out better than expected.

There was one problem, though. While Levi's prediction about Lance's hair turning blond was spot-on, his prediction that his milk would dry up within a month or two did not come true. At first he just shrugged it off, and he put up with the inconvenience of pumping and nursing for a while, deciding to hold off on switching to formula while he was still producing enough milk to feed Lance.

It just kept coming, though. After three months of lactation with no sign of it letting up, Levi tried speeding up the process. He weaned Lance to formula as planned, and when he was sure his son was taking to it, he stopped pumping. Levi was sure that it would eventually stop if he stopped expressing it. He was more than ready to be done with having to wear padding over his nipples to keep them from leaking through his shirts. He was tired of the slight swelling he'd get under his pecs when he went without extracting, and the tenderness in that area when that happened. His nipples were almost constantly erect now, and more sensitive than ever.

But it just wouldn't stop. No matter what Levi did to avoid stimulating them, no matter how much he warded off his husband's attentions in that area, he just couldn't seem to get his chest back to normal. It was driving him crazy. He asked Hange about it, and she told him to just give it a little more time to stop on its own.

"It's nature, grump," she explained over the phone to him. "I know it's a bigger inconvenience for you than most because of Lance's special dietary needs, but your body will eventually catch on that you aren't nursing any longer, and it should dry up. If not, then we can try a prescription to speed things along."

Levi sighed. "How long should I wait, then? Shit, if it's going to keep coming like this, I might as well put Lance back on the tit."

"I wouldn't recommend that unless you want to keep nursing him," she cautioned. "While I do think breast is best, if you let him keep nursing, it could take a lot longer for you to stop lactating. It's your choice, of course, but I think it's only fair to warn you."

Levi paused, standing over his son's cradle indecisively. Maybe he was just being a selfish shit, denying Lance his milk while it was still being produced. The child hadn't started teething yet, and pumping was always still an option once that happened.

"What would you do, shitty-glasses?" he asked at last. Levi reached down when the baby made grabby-hands at him, and he let Lance squeeze his finger. "I mean if my body thinks I should still be nursing him, should I just listen to it?"

He heard Hange breathe a sigh on the other line. "You aren't going to like my answer, shorty."

Levi compressed his lips. "Just give it to me straight. I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't want your opinion."

"Well, if I were capable of having a baby and nursing, I would do it for as long as the child needs—within reason, of course."

"And how the hell long should that be?" Levi asked, exasperated by the vague answer.

"It varies from one case to the other, but most doctors would recommend breastfeeding until the baby is old enough to chew food, which is typically around twelve months. That's assuming the birther can produce enough milk for that long, which isn't common for omega males."

"Twelve months?" Levi frowned. That seemed like a hell of a long time to spend every three or four hours with an infant attached to his chest.

"That's the common recommendation," confirmed Hange, "but as I said: you probably won't be lactating for that long even if you try. I'm just giving you a ballpark number, Levi. I'm sure your milk will dry up if you go without nursing for long enough. You just need to be patient."

He grunted. Patience was hard to come by. He had more freedom now that he could venture outside in the daylight again, and he often went into town with the baby to run errands or visit his friends. Still, the lactation was a pain in his ass.

"All right. I'll think it over and figure out what I want to do. I don't want to be a shitty father, but this sensitivity is driving me out of my fucking mind."

Hange chuckled. "Hmm, having some headlight issues, are you? Doesn't the padding help with that?"

"Yeah, but only so much," sighed Levi. He almost confided in her about Erwin's seeming obsession with his nipples, but he chose to keep that part to himself. He wasn't in the mood to listen to Hange's perverted teasing.

"You know, Levi," stated Hange as if reading his mind, "this doesn't have to be a miserable thing for you. I'm sure Erwin would be more than happy to soothe your nips whenever you—"

"Oi, don't go there," snapped Levi, flushing in spite of himself. Lance began to fuss, and Levi checked his watch. "Time for another feeding. I'll get back to you on this after I've thought it over a little more."

"All right, Levi. I'm sorry I wasn't more help, but you don't have to feel guilty over trying to wean him to formula. Just keep that in mind. Your situation is unique."

"Yeah, I get it. Talk to you later, four-eyes."

Levi hung up the phone, put it in his pocket and bent over to scoop his son up out of the cradle. Maybe he could give it another week, and if he was still lactating, he'd take it as a sign that he wasn't ready to quit nursing his child after all.

* * *

Erwin came home with two armloads of groceries, intending to cook up a special dinner for himself and Levi tonight. He called out to his mate as he struggled to get the door closed behind him, after gathering up the groceries he'd put down outside the front door. His briefcase he left near the door, intending to collect it after he finished putting the groceries away.

"Levi? Are you in?"

He didn't get an immediate answer, so he presumed that Levi must be out somewhere with their son, perhaps running errands. Levi never took Lance with him to the club when business required that he make an appearance, there. He always dropped the baby off with Petra for her to watch over him—along with the special, pre-mixed formula for his feedings—or he waited for Erwin to come home.

Erwin took the groceries into the kitchen, and as he was unloading them, the subject of his thoughts came walking in. Erwin glanced at his mate, started to say something in greeting, and then looked at him again when his brain registered the sight of him. Levi was dressed in a thin, long-sleeved white shirt and black pants. The shirt was hanging open, displaying the omega's alluring, tight physique from throat to navel. There were two wet spots on the shirt, rendering that part of the material transparent enough for Erwin to clearly make out Levi's nipples through them, straining against the cotton.

It was sexy as hell. Erwin's words froze in his mouth as he drank in the sight of the smaller man. The glint of the cross hanging around Levi's neck only seemed to draw more attention to his half-bared attributes. He alternated between wearing the silver one gifted to him by Erwin and wearing the wooden one Petra had given him. There was an intensity to the omega's gaze that Erwin might have mistaken for sexual arousal, if he couldn't sense the frustration radiating from him.

Carefully, Erwin set aside the filet mignon steaks he'd just unpacked, laying them on the counter. "Levi, is everything all right? You look..."

He swallowed, salivating. His mate looked like pure sex, and it had been a while since the last time they were intimate. Erwin tried to be understanding about it, tried to take into consideration the omega's fluctuating hormone levels since the birth of their son. He didn't complain when Levi was too tired to fool around, or too tender to the touch for Erwin's attentions. When he looked like this, though, it was exceedingly difficult for Erwin to contain his lust and be a gentleman.

"It's still happening," Levi said.

Erwin realized what "it" was when Levi pointed directly at the damp spots on his shirt. He tried not to stare, recalling the last time he'd tasted Levi's milk while making love to him. Sweet to the tongue, the flavor of it had reminded him of cantaloupe. Levi's reactions to Erwin sucking on him had been a thing of beauty, too. Erwin hadn't even touched him anywhere else yet before Levi was shuddering and spilling himself against the blond's thigh.

"Well," Erwin said, trying to force his eyes away from the area, "your doctor did say this happens, sometimes. It may just take a while for your body to catch on that you're no longer nursing."

"It's been three weeks since we switched to formula and I stopped pumping," growled Levi. "It hasn't slowed down one fucking bit. I feel like a dairy cow or something. It's disgusting."

Erwin smiled at him. He found it anything but disgusting, but he could imagine it being uncomfortable. He approached his mate, and he put his hands on Levi's shoulders, not daring to step too close, lest Levi's scent and proximity destroy the last lingering ounce of self-control Erwin possessed.

"You are not," he said, "a dairy cow."

Levi shrugged, sulking a bit. "Sure I am. Just hook me up to one of those fucking milk machines. Maybe we could make a profit."

Erwin couldn't hold back a chuckle, nor could he resist drawing Levi close and nuzzling the crown of his head. Breathing in his mate's unique omega scent, Erwin persisted. "You aren't livestock, and you aren't disgusting in the least." He drew back, cupped Levi's beloved, small face in his hands, and he looked him in the eye. "In fact, you've gotten me so turned on just by looking at you like this, I just might burst."

When Erwin deliberately rubbed his crotch against Levi's stomach to demonstrate the truth of his statement, the omega flushed lightly. "Oi, you'll mess up your suit rubbing up against me like this. My shirt's wet."

"I really don't care," purred Erwin. The fires of passion burned hotter as he lowered his mouth to Levi's, claiming the smaller man's lips in a kiss. Erwin forgot about the groceries, forgot about his dinner plans, and decided it was worth a try to initiate something with Levi. "Is Lance down?" he asked between kisses, assuming their son would be napping at this time of day.

"He's been asleep for a little while," said Levi a little breathlessly, pushing Erwin's hands away as they started to slip into his parted shirt. "I'd better go check on him."

"You aren't supposed to wake a sleeping baby," reminded Erwin huskily. He bent down to kiss Levi's ear, and then he moved on to the side of his neck. "Let him sleep."

"Tch…"

Erwin smiled, burrowing under Levi's hand and bypassing his frail attempts to ward him off. "Is that your best argument, love?"

He nearly asked the omega if he really wanted him to stop, but Erwin trusted Levi to speak up, if that was the case. Erwin wasn't the sort of man to beg for sex or try to guilt someone into giving it to him. As he worked on persuading Levi with soft kisses and caressing touches, he paid close attention to his mate's reactions and the vibes he was getting. Perhaps Levi was feeling embarrassed over his lactation, but he was responding quite nicely.

"Do they hurt?" whispered Erwin, gently fitting his hands beneath Levi's firm pectorals, spanning the underside of them between his index fingers and thumbs. There was swelling there, evidence of milk build-up. Erwin didn't put any pressure on the area. He'd helped Levi with massaging and warm compresses before when he got in this condition, but only when the omega was willing to accept it.

"A little," admitted Levi softly. He gazed back up at Erwin with the faint hint of that vampiric glow in his pale eyes. There was intrigue in his stare, along with some uncertainty. "You really don't think it's a turn-off?"

Erwin smiled at the irony. So _that_ was it…or at least part of it. That one uttered question put a new perspective on some things. Perhaps Levi was in the mood more often than he let on, but self-conscious about this situation. Erwin hadn't been much help; he'd been so worried about being considerate to his mate while Levi adjusted and leveled out from childbirth that he missed some things.

"It isn't a turn-off," promised Erwin. He caressed Levi's chest slowly, working his way toward the milk-beaded nipples with care. "Do you remember the last time we had sex, Levi?"

"Wasn't _that_ long ago," admonished Levi, biting his lip. He put his hands on Erwin's shoulders as if to push him away, but he gripped them instead. "Like a couple of weeks, right? It was right after we agreed to switch Lance to the formula."

"Yes, but the time of engagement isn't the point of my bringing it up," explained the alpha. Before Levi could start getting shy again, Erwin put his arms around the omega, picked him up and set him on the counter.

"Hey!"

Erwin kissed those pouty, swear-loving lips, and he kneaded around Levi's pectorals with his fingertips, making his chest leak more. Levi sputtered, then gave a jolt when the blond caressed both nipples with the pads of his thumbs. A shudder went through Levi, and when Erwin stopped kissing him to examine his face, he knew he had him.

"Let me rid you of this foolish shame," persuaded the alpha, stimulating the taut buds. He loved to hear Levi's helpless little gasps, feel the pleasure radiating from him through their bond.

"It's…perverted." Levi's crotch was poking out now, developing a wet spot at the tip. "Erwin…this isn't gonna help it stop."

"Probably not," agreed the mafia boss, enchanted by the way Levi's face looked right now. "It will make you feel much, much better though. You enjoyed it the last time, as I recall. You came fast."

"Always…come when you…suck on 'em," gasped Levi, his dark head lolling on his shoulders as the sensation overwhelmed him.

"Not that quickly," insisted Erwin, "not from having them played with alone. I enjoyed it too, Levi. This doesn't have to be miserable for you while it lasts. I'll do this as often as you'll let me, as much as you need."

Erwin wanted so badly to pull Levi's shirt open, duck his head and get started, but he waited. Levi's trust and consent were more important than indulging in the kink he'd developed. As he always tried to do since pair-bonding with him, Erwin limited how far he would go without confirmation of both.

"Damn it," Levi gritted out in a defeated tone.

He grabbed Erwin's tie, yanked the blond to him and kissed him hard. His fangs were out through no fault of his own, and one of them nicked Erwin's bottom lip as they kissed. Erwin took it in stride, far too horny now to care about the little sting. He thrust his tongue into Levi's mouth, tugged the omega's shirt open and down over his shoulders, and resumed massaging and teasing his chest.

Levi's head tilted back, his fingers sifting through Erwin's hair as the blond's trajectory took his attentions lower. He was breathing rapidly, his heart pounding hard beneath Erwin's palms. Pleased that his mate was just as eager as he was, Erwin ran with it. He circled Levi's right nipple with his tongue, tasting the nectar there. Levi held back a moan, tensing. Erwin could understand why his mate thought it was perverted to get off so much on this, despite Levi's past. He whispered another reassurance to him as a reminder that this situation was unique.

"I'm your husband…your lover." Erwin looked up at the flushed face staring down at him, dark bangs hanging over Levi's forehead, needy gray eyes. "You've only ever reacted this way with me. Don't compare it to feeding our son."

His reasoning seemed to do some good. Levi's expression relaxed, the line between his brows smoothing as they stopped pinching. He swallowed, and he watched as Erwin put his lips around the nipple to draw gently on it. Levi's breath caught, and his legs wrapped around the bigger man's waist. Licking at the captured nub between his lips, Erwin drew more of the milk out, swallowing as it filled his mouth. He worked on the other side with his hand as he went, trying to ease some of the tightness there as well while he focused his mouth on this nipple.

Levi started to squirm restlessly, rolling his hips in that smooth, sensual way that seemed to come so instinctively to him when dancing or aroused. "Erwin," he panted, his abs flexing with tension.

Sensing that his mate was getting ready to orgasm, Erwin reached down with his free hand to undo Levi's pants. He switched his mouth to the other nipple to suck on it as he opened the trousers to free Levi's straining arousal from them. The omega was going commando. That revelation spiked Erwin's libido more, and his groan was distorted against Levi's chest. No sooner did he grip Levi's twitching cock to ease it out, it bucked in his hand.

Most of the omega's cum got on Erwin's hand and sleeve. Some got on Levi's tight little stomach. In the throes of pleasure, Levi didn't complain about the mess. One of his hands clawed at Erwin's shoulder, and the other gripped the alpha's hair. A moan sounded from Levi's throat, and his hips jerked with his climax.

"Levi," sighed Erwin, wholeheartedly approving of his spouse's show of passion. He stopped his suckling and straightened up, looking at the omega's dazed, flushed face. "More?"

Levi caught on to what he meant by "more". He held Erwin's gaze for a moment, and then he put his arms around the alpha's neck for support. "Not on the counter. Bad enough we just did this much where we prepare food."

Erwin wasn't going to argue with that. He smiled with relief, cupped Levi's bottom and lifted him off the counter. He was too impatient to make it to the bedroom, so Erwin made a tactical decision. The nursery was upstairs, but they had synchronized baby monitors in every room—including the bathrooms. If Lance woke up and started to fuss, they'd hear him. Erwin kissed his spouse hungrily, and he stroked Levi's chest and abs. He hadn't meant to start getting amorous with him, but it had been too long since the last time they'd had sex—not counting the oral he'd given Levi in his negotiations with him about moving out here.

"Hey, don't get carried away," objected Levi. "I said not on the counter, remember?"

"You aren't on the counter," hummed the blond. "You're standing on the floor. You said nothing about doing it _against_ the counter."

Levi sucked in a sharp breath as Erwin's thumbs brushed over his nipples. They immediately tightened further, each one producing a little drop of fluid in response to the stimulation. Erwin kissed Levi's neck again, just below his left ear, and he gently fondled one of the erect buds. Levi made a soft, distressed sound in his throat, and he turned his head to kiss Erwin full on the lips. Excited by the response, Erwin slipped his other hand lower to cup the omega between the legs. Levi was hard again down there already. _Very_ hard. A damp spot formed on the tip of the omega's cock as Erwin started stroking the exposed length of it. Still slippery with residue from his earlier ejaculation, the flushed length slid easily against Erwin's gripping hand.

"Damn it," sighed Levi, squirming. "It's going to get all over the floor if you keep making me come, you asshole. We'll need a mop."

"I'm only touching you, love," purred Erwin. His groin throbbed as a bead of pearly moisture formed on the nipple he was pleasuring. Erwin sighed, and he traced Levi's parted lips with the tip of his tongue. "I must admit, I'm a very bad man."

"No kidding," gasped Levi. "Oi, you're making my chest leak again..."

Erwin straightened up, stopped what he was doing for a moment and he dropped partway to his knees before the smaller man. Erwin pushed Levi's thighs apart a little, and he took Levi's right nipple between his lips.

"Grk!" Blurted Levi, his hips canting impulsively. His hands gripped Erwin's shoulders tightly as the alpha stubbornly gave a repeat performance of earlier. "W-what are you...Erwin..."

Erwin massaged Levi's other pec with his hand as he continued to suck and lick at the nub he'd captured in his mouth. The omega scent was enhancing his alpha urges, and the sweet sounds Levi was making drove him to utter distraction.

Levi trembled as Erwin switched to the other nipple to give it the same treatment. The alpha gripped his spouse's cock again, feeling it twitch in his palm. Levi was starting to pant, his breathless protests becoming soft whines of lust and pleasure. His grip on Erwin's shoulders loosened, and he slid his fingers through the blond's hair.

"Fucking...pervert," gasped Levi. "Nngh! Erwin, I'm gonna...you'll make me... _shit_!"

Erwin groaned when he felt the hard swell of Levi's dick buck beneath his touch. The material of the omega's open pants got sticky and wet with his cum, as Erwin didn't even attempt to aim the pulsing length away. Shuddering, Levi tossed his head back and moaned. It was such a beautiful sound to Erwin's ears, one that he could never get enough of. He could be careful with him. Erwin had proven that the last time, and his concern over accidentally hurting Levi outweighed even the powerful mating urges he felt.

He drew on Levi's nipple for a little while longer, and then he released it. Breathing heavily in his own arousal, Erwin stood up and issued a demand. "Bend over the counter, Levi."

For a moment, he was fairly sure that Levi would refuse him. He even came close to covering his groin protectively as those silvery eyes glared up at him, thinking Levi might decide to kick him in the balls. Flushed and panting, Levi turned to face the counter, putting his back to Erwin, and he bent over it. Placing his palms flat against the surface, the omega looked back over his shoulder at his mate. His eyes flashed and glowed again, and his fangs were visible as he spoke.

"Don't expect to do this whenever you please," warned Levi. "And take it slow. If you start pounding me, you're not getting any more for a year, got it?"

Erwin nodded, at the end of his rope. He knew that the only reason he was getting away with this was because he'd taken the time to ensure Levi got off first. Grateful that his spouse was being agreeable, He started to undo his pants...but then he realized there was a problem with their height difference. He'd have to half-squat to take Levi from behind standing up like this, and that would take away from his ability to control his movements. Erwin considered fetching the collapsible stepping stool Levi kept stowed by the pantry to help him reach the higher shelves in the overhead cabinets, but he wasn't sure it would hold steady during their activities. He remembered the briefcase he'd left by the front door. It was a hard case, and it was probably thick enough to give Levi the height boost they needed.

"Just one moment, Levi."

The omega looked up as Erwin left his spot to fetch the object he was after. "What the hell are you doing? I thought you couldn't wait."

Erwin hurried to the foyer without answering, and when he returned, he tapped the briefcase meaningfully as he displayed it. "You need a boost," he explained, and he carried the object over to the counter. He urged Levi to step back for a second as he placed the suitcase on its side on the floor, and Levi caught on to what he was trying to do. The omega stepped up onto it, and he smirked wryly over his shoulder at Erwin as the taller man pressed up against him from behind, grinding against his ass experimentally.

"Hmph. Creative," observed Levi. His eyes fluttered shut as Erwin embraced him from behind, fondling his nipples again. "Shit, you're getting me hard again already."

"Good," approved Erwin. He stopped teasing the smaller man's nipples to slip his hands into the waistline of Levi's pants, and he worked the drawstrings free. "I would hate to think you weren't enjoying this."

"Ugh, disgusting," complained Levi as Erwin peeled away the sticky material where he'd come earlier, tugging his pants down over his hips. "You're washing those later. That's your doing."

"I'll be happy to wash an entire load of laundry for you," promised Erwin.

He caressed Levi's smooth, firm little ass, and then he worked his belt buckle open to expose himself. Erwin rubbed the tip of his sex teasingly against Levi's slippery entrance, testing as well as enticing. He wanted to put it in right away, but he cautioned himself against that and opted to prepare him a little more. Erwin kissed the back of his mate's neck as he eased a finger into him, and he smiled when Levi's breath hitched. He was tight; tighter than the last time. Erwin was probably being a little overly cautious, but Hange had warned him herself to take it slow and practice some restraint until Levi was completely recovered from his rough childbirth. He pumped carefully a few times, and when the omega loosened up enough for it, he worked another finger in.

"Hah...damn," gasped Levi, pushing back against the stroking, scissoring digits inside of him. He bowed his head, rocking into it instinctively each time Erwin thrust.

The one thing Erwin regretted about using this position was his inability to watch Levi's face. He supposed he could have coaxed his mate into the bedroom and tried having him ride him, if he hadn't been so greedy. If he stopped now though, Levi would probably get pissed off enough to refuse him and go take care of himself in the bathroom. Cutting the loss, Erwin kept going until he was sure he could fit his cock inside of his companion without hurting him.

"Here I come, Levi."

Levi's hands curled into fists on the surface of the desk as Erwin withdrew his fingers, lined up and entered him with his cock. The omega drew a shaken breath, bearing down to accept Erwin's thick length. Erwin could tell his spouse was trying to hold back his cries. As he bent over him to kiss Levi's ear, he could see the omega was biting his lip. He took his time with it, pushing in a little, withdrawing and then delving deeper until he was finally seated balls-deep within him. Erwin bowed his head, resting his forehead against Levi's shoulder as he gathered his composure and forced himself to calm down.

"Am I hurting you?" gasped Erwin after a few deep breaths, though the question wasn't truly necessary. He could sense Levi's pleasure, and the omega scent had gotten stronger.

"No," answered Levi with a shake of his head. "Don't stop now."

Erwin had no intention of stopping. He withdrew to the tip, and he reached beneath Levi's hips to grip the smaller man's erection as he slowly thrust back in. A muffled whimper sounded from Levi, and Erwin did it again, stroking his length as he did so. With his other hand, he pleasure Levi's nipples one at a time.

"Levi," groaned Erwin, panting in the vampire's ear. What sweet torture this was. He had no problem going slow, but maintaining this pace through the whole encounter might prove a more difficult challenge than he'd thought. Erwin honestly wasn't sure how he'd managed to take it so slow the last time they'd had sex. Levi made a familiar, desperate little whining noise on the next pump when Erwin adjusted his angle a bit, and the alpha guessed he'd found the magic spot.

"There?" rasped Erwin, thrusting home again.

"Fuck," groaned Levi. "Y-yes...right there. Ah...oh shit, Erwin!"

Again, the blond had to remind himself not to get carried away in his excitement. Clenching his jaw, he kept his pace slow, steady and deliberate. He caressed and kissed his mate, stroked and teased his body as he fucked him. When Levi's enthusiasm grew to the point where he forgot his own warning about taking it easy, Erwin had to stop teasing his erogenous zones and grab the omega's hips. He stilled his pumping, holding himself deep inside of the smaller man.

"Shh, calm down," advised Erwin huskily. "Slowly, remember?"

Levi bowed his head, trembling. He pushed the groceries sitting on the counter away desperately, and Erwin saw why when a spot of drool hit the surface of the counter right where the steaks had just been. Levi was breathing rapidly in short, shallow bursts, his body clenching around Erwin's length. He stopped rocking back against Erwin, obediently going still and gathering his self-control.

Erwin stroked his companion's dark hair soothingly, waiting for Levi to calm down enough for him to keep going. It made him feel good to see and feel how much Levi enjoyed having him inside of him. The head of Levi's cock was slick with precum, and Erwin could tell it wouldn't take much to bring him to orgasm again. He capitalized on the smaller man's enhanced nipple sensitivity, and he fondled both of them as he gently resumed his pumping.

Levi's moans roughened and grew in pitch and volume. The omega put a hand over his mouth to stifle himself, though they hadn't a neighbor for miles. Levi was probably worried about the security guards hearing him. Erwin grunted with effort, finding it almost as exhausting to hold back and keep up this languid pace as it would have been to pound Levi silly. A few more thrusts, and Levi tensed up and came all over the floor and the briefcase he was standing on. Erwin hardly minded the mess. He panted his spouse's name as he kept it up, and moments later, he followed Levi into completion.

After filling him to the brim, Erwin rested his cheek on Levi's shoulder and caught his breath. The only sound in the kitchen for several moments were the two men's ragged breathing. When he recovered enough to trust his legs not to buckle under him, Erwin pulled out of his companion. He rubbed Levi's bowed back for a minute, and then he snatched up a couple of paper towels from the roll on the counter.

"Let's shower," suggested the alpha after cleaning up the worst of the mess. He knew Levi had to be uncomfortable in those soiled pants, and he fought amusement over the disgusted look on the smaller man's face as Levi tucked himself back into them.

"No arguments there," sighed Levi, still flushed from the encounter. "Did you get even bigger? What have you been feeding that thing?" He looked pointedly down at Erwin's crotch, which was now hidden from view after being covered up in the alpha's trousers again.

Erwin laughed. "It's the same size as it always was. You've just tightened back up more since the last time."

Levi shrugged, still staring at the point of interest suspiciously. "Sure felt bigger to me. I've gotta admit, I've been missing that fat cock of yours."

Erwin put his arms around the smaller man, and he kissed him softly on the lips, helping him down off the briefcase. "That's good to know."

"Oh shit," blurted Levi, eyes widening. "We forgot about the groceries. They've been sitting out this whole time."

Erwin checked his watch. "We were only at it for about thirty minutes, love."

"That's all?" Levi scratched the back of his head where the undercut started. "Felt like longer to me."

"Perhaps because we were taking it slower than usual," suggested Erwin.

"Huh. I guess you're right."

A high-pitched whimper came through the baby monitor speaker near the coffee maker, followed by a hiccup and a louder cry. Lance was awake. The timing was good, at least. Erwin didn't think he could have stopped if the baby had woken up while they were having sex.

"I'll go and get him," offered Erwin. "It should be about time for a feeding, am I right?"

Levi glanced at the clock on the stove. "Either that, or he's shit himself. You can take diaper duty this time, if that's the case."

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of chapter recap:
> 
> Erwin: "I'm so damned happy, I don't have a care in the world."
> 
> Hange: "Well, you'd better at least care about watching your back. Levi will kill us all if you get killed in a moment of carelessness, so stop looking like you've got a coat hanger in your mouth and pay attention to your surroundings."
> 
> Levi: "Fuck, I'm leaking like a faucet. Hey four-eyes, can you make this stop?"
> 
> Hange: "I could, but I'd rather put it off until Erwin can get the chance to satisfy his lactation kink."
> 
> Levi: (;_) "H-he doesn't have a lactation kink."
> 
> Hange: "Someone's in denial."
> 
> Erwin: "Levi, I have a lactation kink. I can't stop thinking about your nipples, and that outfit your wearing right now isn't helping to alleviate it."
> 
> Levi: "Oi...what's with that look in your eyes?"
> 
> Erwin: （￢з￢） "What look?" *makes sucking noises*
> 
> Kenny's disembodied voice: "Told ya you'd do anything for blondie here, brat."
> 
> Levi: "Where the hell did YOU come from? You aren't even in this chapter."


	30. Chapter 30

Hange and Petra tied the knot just before Lance's first birthday. It wasn't a huge affair for security reasons. They had the wedding ceremony and party at Erwin's place, and all their closest friends and associates came. Levi was back in stellar physical form again. He'd stuck with light exercises for a while after having his son, and once he regained full strength and Hange approved it, he started back on his usual workout regime. This was never more apparent to others than when Levi changed into his swimming briefs to have a swim in the pool.

"Dude, he just had a baby recently," muttered Connie sidelong to Oluo, who was inspecting his own stomach with a little frown upon seeing Levi's tight six-pack. "How'd he snap back so fast? My cousin Jane is still struggling with the flab from her first kid, and he's three now!"

"Who knows," grumbled Oluo back. He grabbed up a cocktail from one of the waiters Erwin had hired for the occasion, and he downed it.

"You guys might find it easier to keep up with Levi if you lay off the alcohol and food a little," Nanaba pointed out with a smirk, close enough to hear them. Her gaze roved over Levi's physique with quiet appreciation, without leering at him. "I'm sure it's more than exercise, and let's face it, the guy's spent most of his adult life dancing for money."

"Yeah, but he ain't doing that anymore," protested Connie.

"Maybe it's that special diet he sticks to," mused Oluo...only to earn a sharp nudge from Nanaba when Connie looked at him curiously.

"What special diet?" demanded the shaven-headed mobster. "Maybe _I_ should try it."

"I don't think you could handle it," Nanaba warned tactfully, casting another warning glance at Oluo. All of the syndicate members who were captains at the time of Levi's captivity knew his secret, but aside from Mikasa, the rest of them were out of the loop. Connie and Mikasa had just both recently been promoted to captains, but Erwin made it clear that nobody was to talk about the things they'd learned about the vampires to anyone not already in on the information.

"Hey guys," Sasha said, coming over to them upon spotting them. She was wearing a cute, burgundy and black one-piece swimming suit with spiral patterns on it. "Are you going to jump in? The pool's temperature controlled, so the water ought to be fine."

Her presence efficiently distracted Connie from his questions about Levi's fitness routines. He smiled at her and got a little awkward, like he always tended to do in her presence.

"I was thinking of going for the hot tub. Uh, want to come join me?"

"Hmm, it _is_ getting a little chilly now that the sun's going down," pondered Sasha. They had heat lamps situated around the pool area to ward off the chill of approaching fall weather, but it was doubtful that many guests were going to want to stay outside while wet for very long. "Sure, I'll go and check on the hot tub to see how crowded it is, okay?"

"Sure." Connie stared after her, and he sighed.

"Kid, you should just make a move," Oluo suggested upon noticing the younger man's smitten look.

"For once, I agree with him," said Nanaba with a nod. "You've been pining for that girl for over a year now, Connie. She obviously likes you. The worst she can do if you ask her out is say 'no'."

Connie flushed. "You're one to talk! How long have you been mooning over Mike now? You've got me beat."

Nanaba started to say something, caught sight of the towering blond alpha of subject getting ready to use the diving board, and promptly clamped her mouth shut.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Connie observed smugly.

"Be respectful to your seniors," warned Nanaba. "You might be a captain now, but I've still got superiority over you."

Connie winced a little. "Well, I could never get a girl like her in a million years anyhow. She's taller than me, for one thing. Girls like a guy with some height over them, and you should know."

"It's not always about height," insisted Nanaba. "Sometimes it's the way a guy carries himself, and Mike is my business associate, anyway. Our situation is different from yours, so grow a spine, show that girl some confidence and take a chance. You'll never know if you don't try."

Connie fidgeted nervously. By now it was no secret that Nanaba had a thing for Mike, and he seemed to be into her as well. Neither of them ever did anything about it though, and Nanaba had just put some perspective on it.

"Do you want to end up like these two?" Oluo persisted, gesturing at Nanaba, and then at Mike.

Connie faltered, and he gulped. "Shit. Okay, I'll try tossing a line. I just need...some liquid courage, first."

Connie looked around for one of the waiters, grabbed the first drink he found and guzzled it without looking to see what it was. He choked on the champagne while his two companions snorted with amusement at his expense.

* * *

Erwin chose not to go for a swim with his spouse and the others partaking in that little luxury. As the host of the wedding party, he felt he should focus on looking after his guests. Currently, he was checking on the buffet line to be sure none of the food choices were running low. Hange and Petra approached him as he finished inspecting the table, with the latter holding Lance in her arms.

Hange was dressed in a traditional wedding suit designed for female alphas, deep green satin with black, crushed velvet lining. It was androgynous in design, subtly feminine and masculine at the same time. Her hair was styled into a bun with green rhinestone netting matching the primary color of her outfit.

Petra was a vision of delicate beauty in her cream white wedding gown with light pink flowers embroidering the lace at her bosom. Her ginger hair was coiled in a more intricate twist style than Hange's, with ringlets hanging loose here and there. She was smiling with happiness, her amber gaze bright with her joyful emotions.

They both looked lovely, and Erwin smiled at the newlyweds. "Has it been what you were hoping for?"

"Oh, more than," agreed Hange. She put her arms around him for a hug, and she whispered into his ear. "Thank you for all of this, Erwin. You're a wonderful friend and boss."

"Yes, thank you," added Petra sincerely. She kissed Lance on the crown of his blond head, and she bounced him a little in her arms. "It was very generous of you to let us have the wedding here."

"Well, I never did get the chance to give you the engagement party I'd initially wanted to treat you to." Erwin shrugged, watching as the young dancer girl cooed over his son. He detected a hint of sadness briefly manifesting in Petra's eyes, and he thought he knew what provoked it. After the honeymoon, the couple had plans to try and reverse Petra's tubal ligation so that they could begin trying for a baby, but there were no guarantees.

"Thank you for watching over Lance for me while I check on everything," Erwin said to the omega gently. "He really has taken a shine to you, Petra."

Her smile returned to her lips, and she adjusted the child's bib. Lance was mostly on baby food now, though he still took formula at night and in the mornings. "It's my pleasure. He took his bottle just fine, so he's all set for his dinner feeding. Once things settle down after the honeymoon, remember you can call me anytime you need a babysitter. I can work it into my schedule whenever you and Levi need a little break, Mr. Smith."

Erwin nodded. Sometimes he really wanted to tell Petra the whole truth. It would make things so much easier in the event that something unforeseen related to the child's vampirism came up while she was sitting for him. Levi said they shouldn't have to worry about that until at least the age of five, but Erwin worried about it, nonetheless. They were going to have a jolly time trying to explain it to Petra or any other sitters unaware of Lance's condition if the boy grew his fangs earlier than expected. Erwin believed Petra would take it better than Levi thought if they came clean with her about it, and he wondered if she already suspected something. Levi was adamant, though.

Speaking of his mate, Erwin hadn't seen him since the wedding gifts got opened. He looked around the room they'd set up the buffet in, and then out the windows to the back. He could sense him nearby, but he couldn't see him through the crowd of guests anywhere. "By the way, have either of you seen Levi?"

"Oh, he's in the pool, swimming laps around people and making everyone envious of his abs," Hange informed with a smirk. "Well, everyone except Mikasa. I'd say it was an Ackerman trait to have a physique like that, but Kenny's built like a spaghetti noodle."

Lance started reaching for Erwin then, and he began to fuss. Petra secured the child's soft blanket around him, and she held him out for Erwin with a smile. "I think he wants his daddy, now."

Erwin took his son without question, cradling Lance against his chest. The baby's feet kicked lightly and his distressed sounds quieted down as Erwin's familiar scent calmed him. "Do you still have his pacifier?"

"Right here," obliged Hange, who had evidently been holding onto it while Petra fed Lance. She popped it into the baby's mouth, smiled at him and gave his hair a little stroke.

"Thank you. Please excuse me, ladies."

Erwin carried his son to the double French doors leading out to the fenced-in pool area, and he thanked Dita when the guy saw him coming and opened the gate for him. He arrived just in time to watch Levi climb out of the pool in all his dripping glory, and Erwin stared silently at the vision of his mate. The outdoor lamps had come on as the sky darkened, and they shone on Levi's pale, scantily clad form. The black swimming briefs the omega wore didn't leave much to the imagination with their cut and the way they clung to Levi's body, but Erwin had no objections to that. He couldn't blame anyone for admiring his spouse, and he was the only one that got to see the rest of Levi's body, these days.

Levi took a towel offered to him by the hired pool attendant, though he looked a little uncomfortable with being waited on hand and foot. He dried off, and he met Erwin's eyes after finishing up with his hair. He strolled over to the alpha with his towel draped around his neck and shoulders, and he stopped before Erwin to give Lance a quick examination.

"Has he been fed yet?" asked Levi.

The words had no meaning for Erwin, initially. He was too busy devouring Levi with his eyes to respond right away. When the smaller man raised a brow, Erwin translated Levi's words in his head and spoke. Unfortunately, Levi still had a way of scrambling his thoughts and making him stumble with words, at times.

"Gaah-boo babba," spouted Lance, spitting out his pacifier. He tugged on Erwin's tie. "D-da...dadda!"

Erwin and Levi both went still with mutual shock. Erwin looked down at his son's upturned face, ogling him with wide eyes that matched the boy's in color. "Did he just...?"

"I think he did," confirmed Levi, tilting his head. "Tch, well, I guess we know who his fav—"

Before Levi could finish the sentence, Lance twisted in Erwin's hold and he made grabby-hands at Levi. "Poopa!"

Levi blinked slowly, and the child said it again. Erwin chuckled with amazement, confident that their son wasn't just spouting random baby-talk. "I think he's trying to say 'Papa'."

"Either that or he's calling me a piece of shit," muttered Levi.

"I'm sure it's not an insult," soothed Erwin, fighting more laughter. "Given how much you talk about poop, is it really a surprise he would confuse the pronoun a bit?"

"Poopa," called Lance again, still reaching for Levi. Evidently he wanted his father, now.

"You see? He loves you just as much as he loves me," assured Erwin. He started to hand the baby over to Levi.

"No, I'll get him wet and he might catch a cold," Levi said reluctantly. "It's close to his bedtime, so why don't you go and get him tucked in while I finish drying off and changing?"

"All right." Erwin was still stunned over hearing their son speak his first words...and he'd called for _both_ of his parents. In his eyes, Lance was a little genius.

* * *

Hange, Petra, Eren, Mikasa and Armin stayed overnight in spare rooms. The other guests cleared out by two in the morning, and poor Connie got so slammed trying to work up the courage to ask Sasha out on a date that he ended up being carried like a sack of potatoes by Mike. They left Connie's car there for him to pick up the next day after he recovered. Levi checked on Lance once the place was cleaned and locked up, and then he had a quick shower and joined his spouse in the master bedroom. He and Kenny barely said a word to each other through the whole event, but that was more due to Levi being so busy and Kenny getting almost as drunk as Connie. Over all, Levi and his uncle were getting along better now than they ever had before.

"I'm surprised he didn't crash here," stated Levi in regards to Kenny, once he had the bedroom door shut and locked behind him. He approached the bed, and he checked the baby monitor on the bedside table to be sure it was on and working properly.

"Who, Connie?" asked Erwin.

Levi shook his head. "No, but he could have taken a bed or a couch too. I mean Kenny."

"Does that trouble you?" Erwin patted the spot next to him on the bed, covered to the waist with the sheets. His broad chest was bare, and it was a distinct probability that he wore nothing beneath those covers.

Levi shook his head as he slipped out of his bathrobe and hung it up. Now nude, he joined his alpha in the bed. He lay on his side as he pulled the covers up, and he propped himself up with one elbow. "Not really. I'm just still not sure what to make of the changes in the way we interact. He and I have always been at odds, and when we weren't beating the crap out of each other, we were usually throwing insults. Now he acts more like...well...an uncle, I guess."

"Not most uncles," assured Erwin with a smirk. "Save the drunken kind."

"Tch. Yeah. I'm not expecting that part to change much." Levi watched Erwin as the blond turned on his side to face him and reached out to tweak a damp strand of his hair. His calloused fingertips then caressed Levi's face. That simple touch sent tingles through the omega, and before he knew it, he was rubbing his cheek against Erwin's palm to exchange scents with him.

"What's that look for?" Levi teased upon opening his eyes again and seeing the blunt lust on Erwin's face.

"I think you know," husked Erwin. "I've been waiting all night to get you alone, Levi."

"Don't you ever get enough? We've got guests, you pervert." Never mind that Levi's groin was starting to stir beneath the sheets. His breath caught when Erwin ran his fingers down over his chest and circled a nipple with his fingertips. He'd stopped lactating more than three months ago, but the heightened sensitivity was still there, and Erwin clearly loved that.

"These walls are thick," Erwin pointed out, and he scooted closer to begin kissing and licking Levi's neck. He nibbled the omega's ear and made his vision lose focus, and he fondled the other nipple. "Even if someone hears a little bit of something, I doubt they would think much of a pair-bonded married couple being intimate."

Erwin then rolled Levi onto his back, pinning him down. Levi scowled at him for all of three seconds, and then the alpha started scent marking him and he was lost. A low whimper arose in Levi's throat as his ridiculously handsome spouse rubbed the naked evidence of his desire against his thigh.

"Careful," gasped Levi when he felt Erwin's body heat start to rise. "Don't get yourself worked into a rut, you idiot. We agreed to try and avoid that until Lance doesn't need so much of our attention anymore."

"I know." Erwin's throaty, deep voice rumbled in his chest as he nipped and sucked at the spot just below Levi's ear where his scent glands were at. "I'm not trying to go into a rut."

"Could've...fooled me," faltered Levi. Now the bastard had captured his wrists and wedged his thighs between his, and Levi started producing slick quickly. Erwin had already tried a trial version of some alpha suppressants after Lance was born, but they didn't do a thing for him. "Just remember what happened the last time. The brat needed us and we were knotted."

That had been a bit of a nightmare. There they'd been, locked together with Levi in the throes of multiple orgasm, when the cries of their baby came through the monitor. Abandoning sex in the middle of an encounter was difficult enough. Trying to separate while knotted had been torture.

"If I start feeling a rut coming on, I'll pull out," promised Erwin. "I've done it before to avoid knotting."

His fingers entwined with Levi's, and for once, his urgency was so great that he didn't bother with much foreplay. Levi gave a sharp little cry as the alpha's big, thick length slid into him gently. It was a tight fit because he'd only just started getting worked up, but there was no damned way he was going to make Erwin stop now.

"Bastard," he gasped, even as he drew his knees up and back to give better penetration. Erwin lifted his head to stare down at him with an almost pained look on his face, and Levi stared back. Fuck, the man looked too sexy for his own good. Levi's eyes started to glow, and he canted his hips beneath the heavier man. "You always just do what you want to."

"You aren't bucking me off," observed Erwin breathlessly. He started thrusting slowly, giving Levi's body a chance to finish adjusting.

Levi squeezed his mate's hands, and he gave up on playing hard to get. Soon their breathy moans and grunts of pleasure filled the room, and Levi no longer gave a shit if any of their guests happened by their room and heard them.

* * *

"Guys, I don't know if we should be fooling around like this in their house," Armin cautioned when his two companions started getting amorous. In the room Eren typically stayed in when he was a guest in the Smith home, the trio had bedded down together for the night...but then Armin woke up to the feel of Eren kissing his neck and Mikasa stroking his stomach. It was very difficult to ignore their attentions, and Armin blushed endearingly when Eren blew into his ear.

"I don't think they'd mind, as long as we don't make a mess," reasoned Eren. "We can use the towels we dried off with after our swim earlier. They should be dry enough to put on the bed."

"He's got a good point," hummed Mikasa. She reached out to run a hand over Eren's chest, and then she slipped that hand underneath the blanket.

"Still, it seems disrespect—gahh!" Armin jumped as her questing hand fondled his package through the pajama bottoms he wore. "M-Mikasa!"

"You would think I was touching you like this for the first time," Mikasa pointed out with amusement. "Relax, Armin. If you really don't feel comfortable doing it, you can just watch."

Armin looked between the two of them with wide eyes as they hovered over him and started kissing in front of him. Sometimes he wondered how he kept up with these two. He'd never had any performance issues so far since they'd become a threesome, but alpha and omega sex drives were...exceptional. He started getting excited as Eren and Mikasa deepened their kiss, and he thought he could almost put aside his reservations and go for it. Then he pictured the expression on Levi Smith-Ackerman's face if he found spunk all over his nice clean bedding, and that was enough to calm him down.

"I'll watch," decided Armin with a sigh. He could have his turn when they went home and just settle for voyeurism.

"Chicken," accused Eren with a sidelong grin at him, and then he straddled Armin's hips. At some point while Armin was dozing, the dancer had taken his underwear off and was now stark naked.

"Oh God," spouted the teacher as his girlfriend joined his boyfriend in nudity and started stroking Eren off, right there on top of him. "I didn't mean for you two to do it together _on top_ of me..."

Eren chuckled, breathless and getting flushed from Mikasa's attentions. He started fondling her back, slipping his fingers into her lacy black panties—which were now all she had on. "Best seat in the house, right?"

Armin groaned. He wasn't going to get out of this without participating. He could see that now. Even a man with his reservation and manners could only take so much."

* * *

In the corridor connecting to the top floor bedrooms, Hange stood snickering with a mug of hot chocolate in her hand. The door to the room she was staying in with Petra cracked open, and her sleepy new bride came out dressed in a peach, satin robe. Petra stifled a yawn as she padded up to the taller woman.

"Aren't you coming to bed?"

Realizing she'd been standing in the hallway for a good minute, Hange checked herself. "I'm sorry, cuteness. I was on my way back. You were sleeping so soundly when I got up to have a snack, or I would have asked if you wanted some."

Having drank a tad more than she could tolerate during the wedding party, Petra had fallen asleep almost immediately after changing into her pajamas and lying down. Now she appeared a little more alert, and she started to answer when she too overheard the sounds that had caught Hange's attention.

"Oh," said Petra, catching on. It wasn't just coming from Erwin and Levi's room. "Um, it sounds like someone's having fun."

"How ironic; everyone in the house is having sex except for the newlyweds," Hange observed with a mischievous little grin.

"I would have," protested Petra. "I didn't mean to fall asleep on you, especially on our wedding night."

"Oh pooh, I wasn't trying to make you feel guilty," Hange revised quickly, sensing her mate's dismay. They'd pair-bonded a week before the wedding, so it was easy to read Petra's moods. The ginger was evidently still too muzzy-headed to pick up on Hange's teasing mannerism.

Hange lowered her mouth to Petra's to kiss away the frown now gracing it. "Sweetheart, the things you did to and for me last night made up for me not getting to bang you right away after our wedding. Don't fret over it."

In fact, Hange's bits still tingled when she thought of it. Whether the alpha's clit was elongated or submerged to the glans, Petra had a way with it that nobody else had ever matched. She'd actually _screamed_ when she got off the night before their wedding, and she'd been so sensitized after getting such amazing head that she couldn't even wear panties afterwards until around noon today.

"Oh yes, you more than made up for being a sleepyhead tonight," reiterated Hange with a grin. "My question to you is why in the hell did you wait so long to use those techniques on me, dear? I wasn't prepared for it at all."

Petra lowered her gaze, but not before Hange saw the sparkle of satisfaction in those doe-like, gold-tinted eyes. "I wanted to make sure you wouldn't get cold feet."

"Cold feet? After _that_?" Hange snorted, and she wondered if she would ever be able to predict this crafty little omega. "I really would have to be insane."

Petra looked up at her again, and she put her arms around the taller woman's neck. Her expression sobered in thought. "I also wasn't sure how you would react. I'd never used my teeth like that before, and I read that it's too intense for some people. Sucking too hard can also have the opposite reaction to what I was aiming for."

"Well, now you know you can tickle me with your teeth and suck all you want," purred Hange. "In fact, you gave me some ideas. I never would have guessed that was a first for you. You have some talent, girl."

That was an understatement. Hange admittedly almost sat straight up with shock when she felt her betrothed gently nibbled down there, and then followed up with suction that made the alpha's eyes cross. It took a few moments to calm down and get used to it, but the reward for letting it go on had been more than ample.

A groan from Eren in the room one door down served as a reminder to both women that others were having fun they were missing out on. Petra nuzzled Hange's collarbone with soft lips, and she whispered against her skin.

"I'm getting some ideas myself, now. I think I've found my second wind, brown-eyes."

Hange grinned with interest. She liked the pet name her omega had bestowed upon her, though her eyes weren't exactly a straight shade of brown, anymore than Petra's were. "Oh? Why don't we go back to our room, and you can show me what these ideas of yours are."

* * *

Levi referred to Petra and Hange's wedding night as "The Fuck Fest", much to Hange's eternal amusement. Evidently, the fact that all three pairings staying overnight got busy didn't escape his notice. Hange and Petra he gave a pass to, since it was their wedding night. He apparently had some words with Eren about it, though. Petra laughingly told Hange that Eren Jaeger was so mortified over Levi's description of the noises he and his lovers made that he called in sick to work for two days in a row.

"Just what exactly did Levi say to him to provoke that kind of embarrassment?" Hange asked as they pulled up and parked at the airport. She got out of the car to get the bags while Petra got one of the luggage carts lined up nearby.

"Levi told Eren that they sounded 'like a moose in heat getting banged by a mountain lion and a giant buzzard'."

Hange sputtered with laughter, and she almost spit out the cinnamon gum she was chewing. "Oh, come on. I don't think they sounded like that, do you?"

"No, but you know Levi. He can be pretty colorful with his words, and he exaggerates. I think he was just annoyed that he could hear them while he and Erwin were doing there thing. He's got really sharp hearing."

"Hmm, well compared to the noises I was hearing from the master bedroom, I suppose the trio were a little loud. So who was the moose, who was the lion and who was the buzzard? Never mind, I think I already know."

Petra giggled impulsively, bending over the handle bars of the luggage cart to steady herself. "Stop, you'll make me pee."

Hange joined her laughter. "Those poor kids. I wonder how Mikasa and Armin took the comparison."

"I don't think Eren's mentioned it to them, and Levi might be merciful enough not to say anything to them, either. Eren's just his favorite to pick on."

"So I've noticed," agreed Hange. "It's out of love though, no matter what the runt says."

"It is," agreed Petra. She looked back at the car as they started pushing their luggage through the parking lot. "Are you really going to leave that here all week?"

"I was, but I changed my mind," explained Hange. "Whoo, they charge a pretty penny for a week's parking! I left a spare set of keys with Mike, so he'll catch a ride with Nanaba and come get it. We can take a cab home when we get back if nobody can come and pick us up."

"Good," approved Petra. "I wasn't comfortable with the idea of you leaving it here the whole time. Someone could scratch it up or break into it."

"I wasn't even thinking of that." Hange put an arm around her. "You see? What I lack in common sense, you make up for."

* * *

Business continued to go well for both the syndicate and the club. While Hange and Petra were away on their honeymoon, Moblit took on Hange's medical projects and the other captains divvied out her usual family responsibilities between them. Kenny found a new male dancer for the club with Levi's help, after four other omegas failed to pass their drug test and background checks.

Everything looked as though it was going well and the worst of the drama was behind them, but then, disaster struck. Mike was heading for the airport to pick up Hange and Petra after their honeymoon ended. He stopped at a gas station to refuel Hange's car, planning on having them drop him off at his place on the way back to theirs. He never made it out of the gas station parking lot. He was coming back out to the pump after paying for the fuel he was getting, and he'd barely taken three steps when a silver hatchback pulled in off the street and blocked the way to the vehicle he was heading for.

"Hey Zacharius," called the guy in the passenger seat when the window rolled down.

He saw the gun. He heard the shots go off, and he felt the bite of the slugs slam into his body in three places. He went down in the process of reaching for his own weapon, and the car carrying his attackers sped off with a shriek of tires.

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Chapter Recap:
> 
> Connie: "Levi makes me feel like a dough boy."
> 
> Oluo: "Right there with you, kid."
> 
> Nanaba: "Connie, grow a pair and ask her out if you like her so much."
> 
> Connie: "Hah, coming from you, that's rich. Besides, girls like Sasha don't go for short dough boys."
> 
> Nanaba: "You aren't a dough boy. Levi's just...Levi."
> 
> Connie: "But I'm still short. She could pick her teeth with me!"
> 
> Oluo: "Okay, now even I'm getting sick of this whining. Go ask her to pick her teeth with you...er...I mean ask her out, before you end up as horny and alone as Nanaba, here."
> 
> Connie: "Shit, I don't want that. Okay, just let me have a few drinks first..."
> 
> Connie: (　 ゜Д゜)⊃旦 （x_x；）
> 
> Mike: "He drunk?"
> 
> Oluo: "Yeah, he's drunk."
> 
> Hange: "Why yes Erwin, I believe I saw Levi letting people grate cheese on his abs by the pool. Oh, and thank you for the wedding party!"
> 
> Erwin: "Levi, are you out...here? Oh. You're wet and dressed in very little."
> 
> Hange: ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°) "Psst, Erwin; maybe you should put on your son's bib. Little drool, there."
> 
> Erwin: "asldkfj..."
> 
> Levi: "What? The kid's more coherent than you are right now, blondie."
> 
> Lance: "Dadda! Poopa!"
> 
> Levi: ಠ_ಠ "...did he just call me a piece of shit?"
> 
> Erwin: "I think all of your scat talk has an influence on him."
> 
> Levi: "We aren't having sex tonight, Erwin. We have guests in the house."
> 
> Erwin: "I think I can change your mind."
> 
> Levi: "...you shit-head..."
> 
> Armin: "Eren, Mikasa, tone it down! I don't feel right about fooling around too much in someone else's house."
> 
> Eren: "Okay, you can just watch, then."
> 
> Armin: "Well, I guess that would be okay if...hey! I didn't say to do it on top of me!"
> 
> Mikasa: "You didn't say not to, either."
> 
> Hange: "Gee, I wonder what everyone's up to in their rooms? Let me think..." ƪ(•̃͡•̃͡ ƪ
> 
> Petra: "Hange, are you coming to bed? All of this noise woke me up and I want to do unspeakable things with you."
> 
> Hange: ₍•͟ ͜ • ₎*Breaks the sound barrier getting back into the bedroom*
> 
> Mike: *whistling casually* "No drama, no bloodshed. Nice."
> 
> Mike: *gets shot* 
> 
> Mike: "...Mun, you're a whore."


	31. Chapter 31

When Mike didn't show up at the airport, Hange got worried and tried to call him. When he didn't pick up after the forth try or answer her texts, she knew something was either very wrong, or he was distracted. Hoping it was the latter of the two, she tried Nanaba next. She got her voice mail, and she left her a message before trying Erwin.

"Any luck?" Petra asked her when Hange stood there by their luggage, tapping her foot and listening.

"No, not yet. I'll try—oh, Erwin! It's Hange. No, Petra and I are still at the airport waiting for him. I was hoping you've heard something. Nothing?"

Hange compressed her lips. "Maybe he got a flat and he's just too busy fixing it to answer his phone. I'll keep trying, Erwin. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

Hange hung up the phone, and she stared at it contemplatively. "I wonder if I should try the others. Surely someone's heard from him today."

"I hope everything is okay," sighed Petra.

* * *

Unfortunately, things weren't okay. When nobody could reach Mike or find him at home or any of his frequent haunts, Erwin started making use of additional contacts and the computer to see if anything came up. First he checked to see if Mike had been arrested for something, and when nothing came up, he tried the morgues and hospitals. Finally he found a lead, and he looked deeper into it.

"I've found him," Erwin stated to his mate, who was sitting nearby at the other desk in their office with the baby. "It doesn't look good."

Levi glanced up from his task of feeding Lance his formula mixture. "Is he alive?"

"I'm not sure," admitted Erwin, jaw clenching. "He's in the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. I have to go."

Erwin got up, and he didn't bother shutting down his computer. Levi started to go with him, but the mafia boss stopped him with a serious, stern look on his face. "No, Levi. I need for you to stay here with our son. Please."

Levi's countenance darkened. "Why? He's your right-hand man. You might need me."

"Yes, he's my right-hand man," agreed Erwin softly, "and he's been shot. There's going to be police involvement in this. It's possible that this was an attempted car jacking or mugging that went really bad, but I don't know the details yet. Until I do, I want you and our boy here until I say otherwise, understand?"

The omega looked for all the world like he was about to object further, but he must have sensed the inward dread Erwin felt, and the hard look on Levi's face softened to one of comprehension. "You're afraid they might arrest you."

Erwin hesitated. "That's part of my concern, yes. People turn on their own family at times for whatever reason, and there's also rivalries. If the police think this was a mafia related shooting, they'll investigate the family. I could be a suspect. In addition to that, if it _is_ mafia related, we have to consider other syndicate involvement. My family still has enemies out there, and Mike has been representing me, standing in as boss of this organization at times when I've been too busy. This may have been a hit attempt, and if so, we need to be on our guard."

Levi glanced down Lance when the child started to cry, and he tried to shush him. Lance didn't seem to want to finish his bottle. Levi sighed, and he looked up at Erwin searchingly. "So I'm supposed to just stay boxed up here while you expose yourself to enemies or the possibility of getting arrested. Wonderful."

"I'm going to be careful, Levi. If we didn't have this child to think of, I might not—"

"You'd do the exact same thing, and you know it," interrupted Levi, "but since we _do_ have a kid to think about, I'm not going to argue with you. I'll put Lance first, but you'd better watch your ass."

Erwin nodded, relieved that his partner was seeing things that way. He bent over to kiss Levi on the mouth, and then he bent further to give Lance a kiss on the head. "I'll call as soon as I know something. Thank you for understanding, Levi."

* * *

"Hey Armin, can I ask you something?"

Armin looked up from the papers he was grading at his desk, and he smiled. "Of course. What is it, Eren?"

The omega hesitated for a second, looking down at his feet. He scuffed the floor with the toe of one sneaker. "Do I sound like a moose when we do it?"

"A...a _moose_?" Armin's brows furrowed. "Who put that idea in your head, Eren?"

Eren shot him a quick look that told all, and Armin sighed and smirked. "Levi, right?"

Eren nodded. "I guess he heard us the night of Petra and Hange's wedding. He was probably just giving me a hard time to embarrass me, but it's been bothering me. Maybe we should have listened to you that night."

"I won't say I told you so. Well, if it's any consolation, neither of us think you sound like a moose. Dare I ask what animal he compared me too?"

Eren cringed. "A buzzard."

Armin's jaw dropped at the admittedly unflattering comparison. "I...don't sound like that! Do I?"

"No." Eren grinned. "But I have to admit, that night you found out what Mikasa was, your scream was pretty shrill."

"Was it that bad?" Armin frowned. "I can't remember clearly. It was all so surreal."

"Well, I was kind of out of it, so my perception might be a little off. It was a good, healthy scream though and...oh, hold on a minute." Eren took out his phone when it played a chirping sound he'd assigned to Petra. "Just got a text."

Armin waited while Eren opened up Petra's text to read it. He saw the dancer's expression fall with dismay and confusion. "What is it, Eren?"

"Someone's been shot," answered the omega. "Petra says not to come into work today, since it's a slow day anyhow. She thinks there could be trouble and Levi has already taken me off the schedule."

"That's strange." Armin frowned as well, and he wondered if the person that got shot could be Kenny, for Petra to contact Eren telling him not to come into work. His phone beeped as well, and he found a text message from Mikasa. "Mika's just texted me, too. Did you get one from her?"

"Not yet," answered Eren.

Armin looked at the text from their girlfriend, and his sense of dread grew. "She's telling _me_ not to go into work, either. She wants me to tell you the same thing. She hasn't mentioned anyone getting shot; she just says we should both stay home until she contacts us further."

They looked at each other, and in unison, they dialed Petra and Mikasa, respectively.

"What the hell's—" Eren started when Petra picked up the phone.

"—going on?" Armin said to Mikasa.

* * *

Erwin stood over the hospital bed, staring down at his underboss as the equipment monitoring Mike's vitals blooped and beeped. Unresponsive and on oxygen, Mike lay pale and still, hooked up to tubes and wires, blood and fluid IV bags. Erwin shook his head slowly, combing his fingers through his hair and wondering how this could happen. Hange, Oluo and Ness were in the room with him. Connie, Mikasa and Ymir were in the waiting room. Nanaba was on her way. Petra had gone home for the same reason Erwin wanted Levi to stay at home. There were two police officers outside the door, monitoring everyone that came and went from Mike's hospital room.

"How could this have happened?" Oluo said in a heavy voice, echoing their boss's very thoughts. He looked like he was caught between tears and rage, and his hands were clenched into fists. "He can _smell_ danger coming. How could someone take 'the nose' by surprise?"

"Reports say he was coming out of the gas station when it happened," Hange explained. "It was a drive-by, and that means it wasn't random."

Hange looked at Erwin. "My guess is they were either waiting for him to come out and they hit too fast for him to react, or they were passing by and recognized my car. Maybe they were hoping to get _me_ , who knows? I've earned a few personal enemies myself."

"It's a possibility," murmured Oluo when Erwin remained silent, just staring down at Mike like a statue. "We don't know if Mike stopped anywhere else between home and the gas station on his way out. Someone might have recognized him at some other place and followed, or maybe they saw him get out of the car at the gas station and waited for him to go inside and come back out again. I guess we won't know until he wakes up and can talk to us."

" _If_ he wakes up," stated Oluo bluntly. "He took two hits to vital spots: the left lung and an artery. The other one fractured his tibia."

"We don't need a recap," hissed Dita upon seeing Erwin's jaw clench. "We all heard the doctor's report. Stop acting like the grim fucking reaper, all right?"

"He's going to wake up," Hange insisted. "He'll pull through this. Don't you think, Erwin?"

The mafia boss still said nothing; just kept standing there watching his dear friend fight for his life.

"Maybe we should give him some space," whispered Ness, "let him be alone with Mike for a minute."

"Yeah, they were pretty tight," whispered Oluo.

" _Are_ pretty tight," Hange gritted out. "Don't say it in past tense like that, or I'll throw you through the ceiling."

They were just about to file out of the hospital room together, when Nanaba burst in. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she barely spared them a glance as she nimbly slipped past the trio and went to the other side of Mike's bed. She stared down at him, stroked his hair, and then looked up at Erwin's silent form.

"Who did it?" she asked.

Nobody immediately answered. Her pale blond hair was wind-blown, the short-kept locks curling at the ends from growing out a bit over the past month or two. This was the first time Erwin noticed she was letting it grow longer than usual, and he vaguely wondered if she was doing that to appear more feminine to Mike. He could have told her that his friend didn't find her customary, feathered hairstyle un-feminine or boyish. He could have told her that Mike often watched her from beneath his lashes when she wasn't looking. Now wasn't the time to go into that, and he wouldn't have had the heart anyway. Right now, he could tell the beta woman was close to a meltdown, thirsting for vengeance.

"We don't know who's responsible yet," Erwin finally said. "We're going to find out. The doctors are hopeful that he'll recover enough in a few days to answer questions, but he just went through emergency surgery. It could take time. Until then, we'll just have to use our resources to help the investigation along. I spoke to the police, and at this time, none of us are suspects. We may have to turn in our firearms so they can confirm there are no matches to the bullets removed from Mike, however."

Nanaba circled around the hospital bed to Erwin, and she reached up to clutch at his sweater. The others tensed, but Erwin remained still, sensing that it wasn't an act of aggression toward him on her part. Nanaba looked up at him with distressed hazel eyes, and she spoke through clenched teeth.

"When we find out who it is," she gritted, "I want to be in on it. I want to make them suffer for this, understand? You have to let me in on it, sir."

Erwin nodded, and he spoke with a calm that came from a place of shocked numbness. "Keep your calm, Nanaba. You've always been one of my most level-headed captains, and I need you to stay that way for Mike's sake."

She turned her head to look down at Mike's still form on the bed, and she drew a deep breath. "Just promise me, boss. I'll do whatever it takes. Just swear to me that I won't be left out of it when the time comes for payback."

Erwin nodded, and he drew her into an embrace. "I promise; you will be the first to know when I have any information leading to who is responsible for this."

The answer seemed to satisfy and reassure Nanaba, and she started to break down a little. She hugged Erwin back, and she buried her face against his chest. He stroked her hair and let her silently weep against him, envying her the ability to let go a bit. Here was this strong, beautiful man whom Erwin had always relied on as both a friend and a colleague, lying at deaths door now. It was because of him. Erwin didn't fool himself into thinking otherwise. The bullets that had riddled Mike's body were probably meant for Erwin, but because Mike had taken up representing the syndicate so much so that Erwin could focus more on his family, he'd taken the brunt of rival anger.

Nanaba loved Mike; it was never so clear as it was now. Erwin could only hope that his friend would recover and one day realize as much, himself.

* * *

"How is he?"

Erwin was surprised to be all but pounced on by his spouse the moment he stepped through the door. Lance was evidently having a nap, and Levi was sipping one of his blood cocktails, dressed in blue jeans and a t-shirt with a band logo on it.

"He's in stable condition, right now," answered the mafia boss, closing and locking the door behind him. "We're already reaching out to anyone that could provide information leading to his assailants. According to Pixis, there was at least one eye-witness on the scene. Unfortunately, they didn't see the license plate, but they did describe the color and make of the car the shooters were driving. That's something, at least."

Levi nodded, took another sip of his cocktail, and stepped closer. He searched Erwin's face, and he spoke in a softer tone. "And how are you?"

Erwin took a slow breath. He wanted to tell his spouse that he was fine, that he would handle the situation and maintain his composure while doing it. It was rare for Levi to express this kind of concern, though. He knew that Levi would see through whatever fib he tried to provide. The man could sense his feelings, and he probably would have been able to do so even without the pair-bond link they shared. Levi was probably the only person in the world that knew Erwin better than Mike, now.

"I'm exhausted," confessed Erwin at last. "Emotionally and mentally. I feel drained, and I feel guilty."

"Why do you feel guilty?" pressed Levi. He set his drink down on the long side table against the foyer wall. "You weren't there, and even if you _had_ been, you couldn't stop bullets."

"I realize that," sighed Erwin, "but I'm partly responsible for this. He wouldn't be in that hospital if it weren't for me."

Levi shook his head, and he stepped even closer. He reached up to smooth an errant lock of blond hair back into place as he gazed deeply into the taller man's eyes. "Everyone in your family knows the risk they take, Erwin. They chose this lifestyle, and they know it comes with those risks. Stop beating yourself up."

Erwin closed his eyes, and he caught up one of Levi's hands in his to kiss the palm of it. "I'm aware of that, but guilt isn't always reasonable."

"Then that's what I'm here for," insisted Levi, "to pull that blond head out of the fucking clouds and keep you grounded. Come here."

Erwin obeyed, and he couldn't help but smile a little as his small husband hugged him close, pressing a cheek against his chest. Levi wouldn't be caught dead doing this in front of anyone else, but in moments when it was just the two of them, the little terror could be incredibly supportive and affectionate. It was really no wonder that an infamous bachelor like himself finally got caught by a person like this. Erwin couldn't have asked for a stronger, more loyal mate; be they omega or beta, male or female.

"I love you," murmured Erwin into the omega's soft, raven hair. "I adore the hell out of you, Levi. Thank you."

"You're welcome," said Levi, his words muffled against Erwin's shirt. "Just keep your head on straight, big stuff. I like it where it is, and I don't want to end up raising this brat of ours alone."

* * *

Two days later, Mike hadn't come out of his coma and he nearly crashed while Dita was visiting him. He was hanging on though; clinging to life stubbornly. Hange did some digging into the local law authority network, and she found more information regarding the case. Pixis wasn't giving Erwin all of the information he had, which made sense. The man wanted things to be handled by the authorities, not have another mafia conflict on his hands. That wasn't going to stop them from dealing with it themselves, if they could.

One eye witness got a video recording of the incident on his phone, and Hange copied it when her search brought her to it, enhanced it and went over it with Erwin. Neither of them recognized the face of the guy that stuck his head out the passenger-side window and fired at Mike, but when they showed it to the captains of their syndicate, Oluo did.

"That punk was there when we were giving the Bulldogs a reminder not to bring their drug dealing into our territory," stated Oluo. "I went with Mike to have a word with their gang leader. The kid in that video was there when it happened, and none of them were pleased about the meeting's outcome."

"Do you recall his name?" Erwin questioned.

Oluo frowned, rubbing his chin as he regarded the paused video projecting on the wall with narrowed eyes. Finally, he snapped his fingers. "Spinner. That's what Shawn called him. I don't know what his real name is."

"That can be found out," assured Hange. She was already tapping away at her notebook, looking up information on the Bulldog biker gang. They had several chapters scattered across the country, but the Trost chapter usually didn't intrude upon Erwin's syndicate business. Sometimes they even did business with the family. This was the first time they'd gotten caught stepping out of line, and Erwin had hoped the situation could be resolved without physical conflict. He'd been sadly proven wrong on that, though.

"This may not have been a sanctioned hit," mused Erwin. "Did Shawn Tracy seem difficult when you met with him, Oluo?"

"He had his tough guy play going on, but he wasn't being a shit about it," explained Oluo. "The younger guy with him had an attitude, though. You know the sort; the ones that think they've got something to prove. He said a few choice things to Mike, and Mike threatened to cut out his tongue if he didn't watch his mouth and show some respect."

"As I thought," sighed Erwin. "Please excuse me; I need to make a call."

Erwin stepped out of the meeting room to dial up the leader of the Bulldogs, whom he had established a decent rapport with over the years.

* * *

"Tracy claims that he didn't order anyone to raise a gun to Mike," Erwin informed the group after getting off the phone with the biker gang leader. "He apologized for his people overstepping territorial boundaries, and he says he is going to deal with it. 'Spinner' is all ours. His name is Zane Fields, and Shawn is retracting all club protection from him. He says we can deal with Spinner however we see fit, and he expressed his regrets that one of his own took it that far."

"You're sure you can trust that Shawn had nothing to do with this?" pressed Nanaba. "Spinner had at least one other person in on it. Someone else was driving that car."

"I've taken that into consideration, and so has Shawn," assured the mafia boss. "He couldn't tell me who might have been driving, but he did warn that Shawn had other people outside the club that he could turn to for help. Before Spinner joined the Bulldogs, he was in another, smaller club that dissolved and merged with larger ones. Road Rash, he says it was."

"Interesting names these guys come up with," muttered Dita.

"Maybe _we_ should come up with a logo name for the syndicate," suggested Connie. "No offense boss, but 'The Smiths' doesn't really strike fear."

"Only to those who don't know about us," countered Oluo with a smirk. "Trust me kid, it's not in the name, it's how we handle our business. People that need a catchy nickname for a mafia family are trying to compensate for something."

"Oh, I don't know," said Hange thoughtfully, "I think a logo might be nice."

"We aren't a bike club," reminded Erwin. "Things are fine as is. What we need to focus on right now is tracking down Spinner and making sure he and his cohorts don't get a second chance to do this again."

"If he has allies with experience, we may need some extra insurance," cautioned Dita. "I don't want any more of us getting shot, even if one of us can take it like a bee sting." He glanced purposely at Mikasa as he said it. She had been quietly thoughtful the entire time.

"I have insurance," Nanaba announced. "Boss, I'd like to take you all to show you what I mean, if we're done here."

Erwin tilted his head, intrigued. "You've caught my interest."

"All right, then everyone load up into my SUV and those that can't, carpool with someone else and follow us."

* * *

A while later, Nanaba led them to an old warehouse just outside city limits. Half of them piled into her gold SUV with her, while the rest followed in Mikasa's car. Nanaba had mentioned getting a deal on a piece of property, but she'd never specified what or where it was. Most had assumed it was a house or a unit she planned to rent out as an investment, but that presumption was evidently wrong.

"We're here. Everyone out."

The group got out of the vehicles, and Oluo looked around with a frown of interest. "You've been holding out on us, little lady. What's this place?"

"A storage place, obviously." Nanaba marched purposely towards the roll-up door, fishing her keys out of her jacket pocket. The syndicate captains and Erwin followed her, and they watched as she squatted down to unlock the padlock on the door. "When things started to get heavy with Pinchet, I thought it would be a good idea to do some stockpiling. I never had to use any of this stuff, but I'm glad I didn't toss any of it."

Erwin came up behind the blond beta woman as she pulled the roller door up, and he waited for her to go inside and turn on the pendulant light before following. What he saw once in the storage containment made his eyes widen slightly. It looked as though Nanaba had literally been preparing for a war. There was military surplus gear, a small arsenal of weapons and even a rocket launcher. There were even suits of body armor hanging up.

"Nanaba, dare I ask how you got all of this?"

She paused in checking one of the machine guns lined up neatly on a table. "I know a few people with access to older military arms that would usually get recycled or repurposed after use. They cut me a deal on this stuff. It was all cash under the table, so it can't be traced back to the family easily. Nobody used their real names in the transactions, either."

Erwin nodded, satisfied enough with the answer though he wished she would have informed him of this sooner. By the sounds of it, she'd chosen to do this as an emergency backup plan, and knowing her, she would have told him if things got bad enough to warrant the use of this stockpile.

"Do you even know how to use this stuff?" Oluo asked, checking out the harness gear and wires. It looked like the sort of gear agents would use on a sting to scale buildings and break in.

"Enough of it." Nanaba shrugged. "The important thing is that we have it if we need it. It might give us an element of surprise and make things easier when we move in on this piece of filth that put Mike in the hospital."

"You're a surprising woman, Nanaba," Ness said.

"Hey, could I use this?" Hange called, having picked up the missile launcher to inspect it. "Only if it comes to that," she added hastily as Erwin raised a brow. "Pretty please with butter and sugar on top? I've always wanted to shoot one of these!"

Everyone looked at Hange with faint alarm. She was already dangerous enough on a normal day, without a bazooka in her hands. Erwin, however, had faith that the alpha woman would work out the mechanics faster than most.

"If you research it enough and the situation calls for it," he said carefully, "and under _no_ other circumstance, understand? Firing something like that off in the city would definitely draw attention to us that we need to avoid if possible. Nanaba, do you have any shells for that thing?"

"Only three," confirmed the blonde. "I fired one off myself out in the field when I got it, just to be sure it worked."

"And does it?" Mikasa inquired, also regarding the piece of weaponry with some interest.

"Oh yeah, it works like a charm." Nanaba grinned humorlessly. "But Erwin is right; anything you fire that thing up is going to be blown to pieces, so we'd better save it for the right moment."

"Well, looks like we've got plenty of firepower," remarked Connie. "Now we've just gotta find the guys to use it on."

"Agreed." Erwin frowned a bit. "Unfortunately, Tracy couldn't tell me where Spinner might be now. He claimed not to have seen him since the day of the meeting with Mike and Oluo. If that's true, then Spinner knows he made a grave error. He may not even be in the city any longer. If he's on the lamb, he'll be harder to find with the more time that passes, so we need to spread out into groups and find whatever information we can about him. Check his haunts, check with people that might have seen him or know him, and Hange, I'll need you to see if you can track any credit card purchases with his name on them. If he was foolish enough to take a shot at my underboss, then it's possible he could be foolish enough not to use cash for his purchases."

"I can also try hacking into his bank account," offered Hange. "If he had the foresight to get cash out and run, his records will tell me when and how much. Someone might have wired him some money to help him out too, so that could lead us to somebody we can get more information from."

"Good thinking," approved Erwin. He sighed. This wasn't going to be an easy hunt, but he'd done this sort of thing before, unfortunately. He'd tracked down people that turned on the business and went into Witness Protection before, and he'd put an end to them before they could use any information they had to get the syndicate into any steep trouble with the law.

Erwin was getting tired of this lifestyle. He'd definitely changed as a person, and where he could once think of it as protecting his investments and his family, he now could see only murder. The one thing that made his plans for Spinner more palatable was the mental image of his closest friend fighting for his life because of that man.

* * *

It took nearly another week for them to finally pinpoint a location where Spinner might have fled to. He'd gotten pretty far up north, and it seemed like he might be attempting to make it to Stohess. Erwin knew that there was another chapter of Bulldogs up there, but if Spinner thought he'd get any help from them, he was mistaken. Unless the man was lying to him, Shawn had assured Erwin that every club leader in the nation knew about Spinner's situation, and because they all knew who Erwin was and what his syndicate was capable of, they were unanimous in the decision not to get in the way or lift a finger to help Spinner out.

Erwin would have let his captains handle this one, if it weren't for the reason they were going after this target in the first place. He would have loved to leave the dirty work for others and get no further red in his own ledger, but that wasn't to be. He was going to have to stain his hands with blood, at least once more.

On the morning they were scheduled to leave and follow the trail to Spinner, Erwin gazed down at his son for long moments. Lance was fast asleep, just having been fed his breakfast. Erwin reached out to touch the baby's soft, chubby cheek.

"So much like your father," he whispered to his son. Levi had no baby pictures or childhood pictures of himself to share, but Erwin imagined that but for the color of his hair and eyes, his mate must have looked just like this at Lance's age. He wanted to pick the child up and cuddle him, breathe in his powdery scent and take comfort that even an evil man like himself could help make something so pure and innocent. He didn't want to wake him up though, so he quietly left the nursery, and he made his way back to the master bedroom.

Levi was fast asleep in the bed. He'd immediately lain down again after feeding their son. Without a fixed work schedule, Levi tended to stay up late and sleep in until late morning or noon on most days. Erwin smiled at his spouse's slumbering face, knowing that Levi was far from innocent, but he certainly looked it in his sleep. With his dark hair tousled, his body curled up on its side and he hands folded under his cheek, the omega cut an endearing, youthful picture. Erwin bent over him, and he brushed his lips over the smaller man's eyelashes, then his cheek. Levi stirred and mumbled in his sleep, stretching a little and rolling onto his back.

Erwin checked the clock. He had an hour before he had to leave. That was time enough for a bit of loving. Erwin undid his bathrobe, and he climbed into bed naked with his omega. He leaned over the smaller man, and he started kissing him softly, up one side of his neck and down the other. He rubbed his wrists against Levi's neck as well, further scent marking him. He had no concerns that he wouldn't make it back home alive, but Erwin wasn't foolish enough to believe he would return unscathed. Doing this sort of thing he was about to embark on always seemed to deaden a piece of him inside, and if it kept happening, he feared he might not be able to love anymore.

"Levi," he murmured, kissing the shell of his companion's left ear. He closed his eyes and took in his omega scent, mingled with his own alpha scent. "Please always remember me as the man you turned me into. Not the cold and ruthless death dealer I have to be at times."

"Mmm?" Levi frowned, obviously still mostly asleep. "What are you babbling about?" His eyes flicked open to focus on the alpha lying partly on top of him.

Erwin started to answer, but he shook his head. He didn't want to get into a morbid conversation about the things he'd done and would probably still have to do, whether he liked it or not. His position of power came with a price, and if he wasn't willing to put aside his humanity and allow the monster out when he needed to, then the empire he'd helped create with his father would fall. To protect his family—both in the syndicate and at home—he had to get his hands dirty once in a while.

"Nothing," said Erwin at last. He forced a smile, and he stroked Levi's hair. "I just want to spend time with you before I go on my business trip."

The calculating look on Levi's face as he became further awake was proof enough that he'd already read between the lines. Erwin braced himself to be scolded, but instead, Levi put his arms around the alpha's neck and drew him down for a kiss.

"If that's what you need to call it to feel better about it," murmured the omega, "then I understand. Just keep your wits and don't put yourself at un-necessary risk."

Having no words to express his gratitude for Levi's support and understanding, Erwin kissed him again. He kissed Levi until they were both breathless and rubbing eagerly against each other, and then he reached down to slip off the briefs Levi had put on when he'd fed Lance. Perhaps monsters could be redeemed by unlikely angels. Erwin liked to think so.

* * *

Having sensed his companion's angst, both in Erwin's voice and in his body language, Levi tried to comfort him in the only way he knew how. He'd never been good at pep talks or expressing sympathy, but he was damned good at distracting the man for a while with his body. There was more to their connection than sex, but it definitely served as a good conduit. He urged the blond onto his back and straddled him, feeling like this time, Erwin needed someone else to be in control. He was right; he could tell by the way those piercing blue eyes stared up at him, the flush that stole over Erwin's cheeks, and the way his breath quickened when Levi ordered him to be still. Looking around, Levi reached out for the robe Erwin had hung over the side of the headboard. He liberated the belt from it, and he told the blond to cross his wrists up over his head.

Erwin was quite amicable about having some light bondage play. He let the omega secure his wrists over his head, looping the slack through the headboard to hold them in place there. It wasn't a strong restraint; Erwin could undoubtedly break free if he wanted to. He was playing along though, and Levi found it quite erotic.

"I wonder if this is how you felt when you walked in on me trussed up in heat on the bed, that day," Levi mused, looking up and down the length of the powerful, tawny form of his mate. He ran his hands over Erwin's chest, feeling the crisp pattern of hair under his palms. He was already wet, and they didn't have a lot of time to fool around before Erwin would have to dress and head out the door.

"That was a unique experience," confessed Erwin huskily. "I was very conflicted, my Levi."

Levi tilted his head, and he played with Erwin's nipples, giving him some payback for all the times the man had stubbornly fondled and sucked on his until he was a shivering puddle of lust.

"Why were you conflicted?" prompted Levi when Erwin shut his eyes and rolled his hips, rubbing his stiff length against the omega's thigh.

Erwin looked up at him again, and he frowned slightly. "Because you were so beautiful and erotic looking, but it was no ordinary heat. You were helpless and in pain, and a part of me was scared for you."

Levi gave him the tiniest little smile. This was the part of Erwin Smith that few ever got to see...the part that went beyond social politeness in public. Erwin might not be able to see it right now, but he had a compassionate, loving side. If he'd had nothing to offer but for the arrogance and ruthlessness he'd first demonstrated when they'd met, Levi doubted he would have fallen for him so hard.

Then again, he'd changed a himself since getting involved with Erwin. Almost from the beginning, Levi had let the man get away with more than he'd ever allowed previous love interests. He'd had a child with him, he worked from the home most of the time, and he was surprisingly content with the turn his life had taken. If Levi could change anything about their lives, it would be the need for constant security and a safer career for his husband. He could have been just as happy living a more modest life in or closer to the city, someplace small enough for him to clean on his own, yet big enough to raise their family.

Levi went still at the tail end of his own thoughts, jolted stupid by the path they'd taken.

_~Family. Not "son". Am I actually considering having more kids?~_

He'd been so certain he was going to get sterilized again sooner or later—preferably no later than a year after Lance's birth. It now occurred to Levi that he hadn't even looked into setting up an appointment date for it yet, though. He could have blamed it on being too busy with Lance, his writing and managing the club, but if he was honest with himself, he had to admit that part of his procrastination stemmed from seeing how happy and excited Erwin had been to hold their boy for the first time, and how good he was with Lance.

"Levi, is something wrong?"

Now aware that he'd been staring down at his mate thoughtfully, Levi stopped himself from blurting out his thoughts. He wasn't ready. He needed to examine his feelings more carefully before finalizing his decision, and in the meantime, he could stick with suppressants and birth control.

"No. Nothing's wrong."

He said it softly, and he stroked Erwin's chest as he bent over him to deliver a deep kiss. For now, he could just satisfy the need for contact and make what he knew Erwin felt he had to do a little more bearable to endure.

* * *

Levi certainly made the day brighter for Erwin. He demonstrated his oral skills on the blond until Erwin was growling desperately for release, but Levi wouldn't let him come right away. He sucked Erwin off for a while, squeezing the base of his erection to delay orgasm, and then he took him inside and rode him until the alpha's eyes practically crossed. There was an odd look in his omega's eye that Erwin couldn't quite place, but then, the sexual gratification he was getting from Levi clouded his thoughts and judgment enough to keep him from questioning things very much.

Erwin's legs were a bit wobbly by the time Levi was through with him. He'd come twice while his mate rocked his world, and he had to take another quick shower before changing into the clothes he'd chosen for the excursion he was due to go on with his top-ranking underlings. After cleaning up, grooming and dressing himself in garments of black pants and a deep blue sweater, Erwin approached the bed to gaze down at his spouse. Nude beneath the silver, bamboo sheets covering him to the waste, Levi was lying on his stomach with his arms folded beneath his cheek. He was already asleep again, as it was still early in the morning.

Erwin smiled down at him, and he stroked the omega's ruffled ebony hair with affection. Levi had surpassed his needs once again, easily reading what was in his heart without the need for verbal expression. Bending over, Erwin kissed his slumbering mate on the cheek. No matter what travesties life might force Erwin to commit, he knew that this surly little vampire would always be on his side.

"I love you," he whispered in Levi's ear, and then he straightened up and left, prepared to put yet another red mark in his ledger.

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Chapter Recap:
> 
> Hange: *coming in for a landing on the plane* "Hey Petra, I can see everything from up here! Except Mike. I don't see Mike. Where the hell is Mike?"
> 
> Erwin: "I'm sorry, I've been too busy fawning over my omega and my child to pay attention. What about Mike?"
> 
> Hange: "Well, I know he didn't find a girl. That man's all but neutered himself. Ugh, I'll keep trying."
> 
> Erwin: "Fuck. Mike's in the hospital."
> 
> Levi: "Want me to chew someone's throat out?"
> 
> Erwin: "No, you stay home with the baby."
> 
> Levi: ┌∩┐(ಠ_ಠ)┌∩┐ "...fine."
> 
> Eren: ( ･᷄ㅂ･᷅ ) "Armin, do you think I sound like a moose?"
> 
> Armin: "You've been talking to Levi again, haven't you?"
> 
> Mikasa: "Both of you stay! Good boys."
> 
> Armin and Eren: (・_・ヾ
> 
> Erwin: "All my fault. This is all my—"
> 
> Hange: "Knock it off. I can't think over your constant self-loathing."
> 
> Erwin: "...you've been hanging out with Levi again, haven't you?"
> 
> Mike: (×_×;）*has no opinion because he's unconscious*
> 
> Nanaba: "Where are they? Let me at them! Let me at them!"
> 
> Erwin: "Calm down, Nanaba. I promise you'll have your chance as soon as we find the ones that did this."
> 
> Nanaba: "Good. In the meantime, let me show you the arsenal I've been putting together"
> 
> Oluo: "Christ, were you preparing to start a world war, or what?"
> 
> Levi: "Here, Erwin, let me fuck away your cares for a while."
> 
> Erwin: "Okay!"


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait on this chapter! It's an extra long one, so hopefully that will make up for the delay. I'm working on wrapping this story up, so expect one, maybe two more chapters after this one. Thank you everyone for your support!

Erwin met up with his captains at Hange's place. He left people at the hospital to watch over Mike while they took care of this, and he didn't want to conduct this sort of business in front of Levi. It was bad enough to have to convince him to stay home with the baby. Making plans to go after the people that hurt Mike in front of him would just rub salt in the wound.

"What else do we have to work with?" Erwin said as he closed the front door behind him. Petra was staying with a couple of the other dancers while this went underway.

Nanaba handed a folder over to him. "A lot more than we had yesterday. We've got where he goes, who he talks to and practically where he shits."

Erwin wasn't very surprised, and the expression on Nanaba's face left little doubt that she was more than ready to get down to business.

"Then let's get started, shall we? Nanaba, you'll take point."

* * *

Levi paced the floor of the nursery, bobbing his crying son against his shoulder to try and sooth him. Lance had begun teething, and in addition to feeling helpless to comfort the child, Levi was understandably anxious about Erwin and the others. He knew he shouldn't be, but logic was hard to come by when a person was in love.

"When did it come to this?" he wondered aloud to his son. He reached for the chilled teething ring sitting on the tray he'd brought into the nursery, and he cradled Lance in one arm while trying to give him to open his mouth and take the item. "I never saw this coming, brat. Never thought I'd see the day when I'd be a stay-at-home parent taking care of a screaming baby while worrying about my man's safety."

Levi sighed when Lance whimpered around the teething ring in his mouth. The omega used the child's bib to wipe away some drool from his chin. "It's not your fault though, Lance. It's your dad's fault. Until he came along, I had my life all planned out."

Levi mused over it as the infant's fussing finally settled down. He looked into Lance's inquisitive blue eyes, so much like his mate's, and Levi smiled a little without consciously realizing he was doing it. "I'm not cut out for this parenting gig," he whispered, "but I can at least say this: I don't regret having you. You've got a tough life ahead of you, kid. Wish I could change that, but all I can do is try to prepare you for it and mentor you along the way. I just hope you won't resent me some day for your heritage."

At least he'd survived bringing his son into the world, unlike many previous Ackerman omegas. At least Lance would have his birther in his life. Levi frowned. If something screwed up, however, the kid might not have his sire in his life. Levi shook his head, and he swore softly. No. Erwin had been at this game for a long time. He knew his shit, knew how to handle himself. He had to come home all right. If he didn't, Levi would make him pay for it.

* * *

Zane Fields screamed as the heavy mallet crushed his left kneecap. "I'm sorry! I'm s-sorry! I d-didn't know!"

"Don't fuck with us," snarled Oluo. He spat on the captive, cuffed by the wrists and ankles to a chair. They had found him, and Nanaba had been the one to ultimately foil his escape attempt. She stood behind Oluo silently, glaring at "Spinner" with the promise of death in her eyes.

"If someone put you up to this, you'd better give a name," Erwin stated calmly, circling around the chair with slow, deliberate footsteps.

"Even if I had a name to give you," panted the ex-biker through bloodied, spittle-flecked teeth, "you'd still kill me anyway."

"Perhaps, but if there is another involved party, giving over that information will at least assure a quick death. You decide: shall we end it with a shot to the head, killing you instantly, or do I let Nanaba here have her way with you?"

Erwin nodded meaningfully at the sleek, black-clad blonde female standing before the captive next to Oluo. She wore a bodysuit and harness straps. Her gloves were torn from where she'd punched through the fleeing culprit's car window using brass knuckles. She'd used some kind of sting operation equipment similar to mountain-climbing gear to latch herself onto Zane's car when Hange managed to get close enough to it in the chase, and she'd demonstrated skills that nobody in their syndicate had ever seen her use before, anchoring herself to the hood of Zane's car before punching through the windshield, reaching through the broken glass and grabbing his hair to slam his head into the steering wheel.

Erwin himself was mightily impressed. He knew she had military experience, but he hadn't expected her technique to be quite that refined. She'd shimmied into the front of the car via the broken window after pummeling Spinner's face with the steering wheel to the point of unconsciousness, and somehow, she managed to grab hold of the wheel and keep the vehicle from going out of control. They had disposed of Field's rental car quickly, rolling it off a cliff after setting it on fire. The police would have a jolly time trying to find any evidence in the burnt wreckage.

Erwin came around to the front of the captive, and he bent over to look into the man's swollen eyes. Zane's brownish-blond hair was matted with blood, and his ponytail had come half-loose from Nanaba grabbing it to slam his face into the wheel and the dash.

"You only have this one chance to make it easier on yourself," informed Erwin coldly. "If there is someone else involved, then give us names."

Zane glanced up at Nanaba, who was scraping two sharp, curved knives against each other and eyeing him with eager anticipation. "I...I..."

"Witnesses say you were in the car alone, when you shot our associate," Erwin went on, ignoring the stammering, drooling babbling. He straightened up. "Then again, it must have happened fast. They might not have gotten a clear look. I'll ask you one last time, Mr. Fields: Who else was involved in this?"

When he didn't answer, Erwin gave Nanaba a nod. "Nanaba?"

She didn't speak or hesitate. Before the captive could so much as attempt to pull away or struggle, the beta female lunged forward and grabbed his matted ponytail. She yanked his head back and to one side, and he screamed bloody murder as one of her knives carved cleanly through the cartilage of his ear. Oluo and Ness both winced and glanced away as the severed part fell to the floor. Blood was streaming down the side of Zane's face and neck from the hole where his ear had been.

"Better shut him up," warned Oluo tightly over the victims howls.

Nanaba pressed her bloodied blade into Zane's open mouth, effectively getting his attention.

"It'll be your tongue next, if you don't shut up," she warned.

He choked on a sob. Trembling, he stifled his pained exclamations, cussing raggedly under his breath.

"Enough, Nanaba," warned Erwin when she started to slice Zane's mouth. "Give him a chance to talk."

"N-n-nobody else," whimpered Zane, and the stench of fresh urine filled the air as the crotch of his pants darkened tellingly. "It was just me. I had my reasons! I d-didn't know he was such a high rank!"

Erwin's expression darkened. He'd half-expected the man to try and throw someone else under the bus to save himself, but he must have known they'd see through any mistruths. Erwin did have a reputation for reading people like a book, regardless of how they tried to play the game.

"Well, unfortunately for you, there's much more to this than your victim's mafia rank, my friend. The man you shot down in cold blood happens to be my oldest, closest friend. As you may have guessed by now, he's also very special to Nanaba, here."

Zane licked his bloodied, swollen lips and looked up at Nanaba's cold face with obvious terror.

"I see you understand the situation," mused Erwin. He pulled up a chair, and he had a seat on it. He regarded the captive silently for a moment, and he sensed Hange's presence coming up behind him. Erwin considered their options as he stared the biker down. "This isn't going to end with you walking out of here, you know."

When Zane started sobbing, Erwin cut him off with a raised hand. "However, how badly it ends depends on what you say next. I'm interested in hearing the reason _why_ you shot Mike Zacharius. Surely it wasn't just because he gave you a hard time during your club's last meeting with him?"

"N-no. That w-wasn't it." Zane looked away and bit his lip.

"Then what was it?" pressed Erwin. "Help me out. Why did you take it upon yourself to gun down a major syndicate player in a cowardly drive-by?"

His temper was rising, and Erwin quelled it with difficulty. "You claim no other parties were involved, so it can't have been for money. Was it for fame? Were you trying to make a name for yourself? Give me some fucking reason why I shouldn't let Nanaba carve you up."

"It was...it w-was..."

Erwin made a disgusted sound, and he got up. "I don't have time for this. Nanaba, do as you please."

"No, wait!" begged Zane. "I did it 'cause of what that bastard did to my sister!"

Erwin frowned. "Explain. Who is your sister, and what are you accusing Mike of doing to her?"

"He raped Kat!" yelled Zane with a mixture of fury and hopeless desperation. "I couldn't let him just keep getting away with that!"

Erwin was brought up short by the damning accusation. He knew Mike Zacharius, and there was no way in hell the man would ever force himself on anyone. "I think you have your facts confused," he stated ominously, feeling anger stir again. "Who is this sister of yours, and what exactly makes you think my Underboss assaulted her?"

"He did! Or at least, he tried to," insisted Zane. "She wouldn't tell me what w-was wrong that night, but I finally got her to 'fess up earlier this month, and she told me that piece of shit tried to rape her that night she came home upset!"

Erwin reminded himself to stay calm, well aware that the color had drained from his face. He didn't see Hange's eyes widen, because she was standing behind him.

"Katrina?" Hange asked. "Is that her name?"

The guy nodded. "Yeah. So you know about it, huh?"

Hange grabbed Erwin's arm. "I need to speak with you for a minute," she insisted. " _All_ of you. Let's go outside for a minute. He's not going anywhere."

More than a little confused and slightly apprehensive, Erwin agreed to accompany Hange outside. The other captains followed, and Nanaba gave the captive an even angrier look as she passed by him. As if she weren't pissed off enough, without Mike's shooter accusing him of such a heinous act.

* * *

"So you know something about this, Hange?" Dita looked frankly disturbed, and his brows were furrowed in a half-pleading expression. "The guy's got it wrong, doesn't he? Mike would never do something like that."

Hange sighed. "Unfortunately, he's got it partway right. I don't know if any of you ever met her, but shortly after I joined the syndicate, Mike had an omega girlfriend named Katrina. Erwin, does that ring any bells?"

Erwin frowned, his blue eyes losing focus as he tried to recall.

"Light brown hair, brown eyes, kind of tan, about this high?" Hange held her hand up to her ear to indicate the person of subject's height in comparison to hers.

"Oh yes," Erwin said at last. "I think I vaguely recall him introducing her to me at a party, once. Are you certain she's the same person that man was talking about?"

"If she isn't, it would be a hell of a coincidence." Hange looked around at her fellow captains, and her gaze lingered the longest on Nanaba. "Shit, I swore I would never tell people about it, but I'm going to have to make an exception. It's important that you all understand what really happened."

"I'm not wildly enthused about where this is going," Oluo stated ominously. "Don't tell me there's some truth to what that punk in there was saying."

"A grain of it, at least," admitted Hange. "Listen, about two years ago, right after I joined the family, I ran into Mike and his girlfriend at a house party thrown by a mutual acquaintance. We hung out for a little while, and then he went into one of the rooms with Katrina. I was passing by on my way to the bathroom when I caught a whiff of omega pheromones through the door."

Hange lowered her gaze, and she absently toyed with the buttons on her jacket. "Katrina must have started going into heat while they were at the party. I remember seeing Mike giving her some ice water and trying to take care of her, and at first I thought she'd just had too much to drink. Then I realized the truth when I passed by the room they were in."

Hange spread her hands. "I didn't think much of it. They were both adults, and the host didn't have any problems with couples sneaking off into some of the guest rooms that weren't locked up. I was going to just keep going, but then I heard Mike's girlfriend crying out. I listened in through the door just to be sure I wasn't confusing her tone. When I realized what was happening, I went into the room."

Hange sighed again, and she looked at them each in turn. "It must have been the girl's first heat. Honestly, I think her condition was scaring her more than Mike's attentions, but every alpha knows how hard it can be to ignore that scent omegas put off...especially when it's an omega we're already interested in."

Erwin nodded. "No arguments from me. Go on, Hange."

"Well, you know how strong Mike's sense of smell is. It must have been magnified for him threefold! I yelled out to him when I saw he was losing control and didn't seem to realize his date was objecting. Before any of you judge him, I want you to know that he _did_ stop. Maybe me yelling at him helped him snap out of it, or maybe her cries reached him through his rut, but Mike did _not_ carry it through to assault. He was horrified and disgusted with himself. I saw it in his eyes when he came to his senses.

"He took off after that," recalled Hange with a frown. "I checked on his girlfriend to be sure she wasn't hurt, and then I went after him. I found him sitting in his car with this...look on his face...like he'd just run over someone by accident or made his first kill and was having trouble processing it."

"So it was an accident," reasoned Nanaba. "He didn't actually rape her."

"No, he didn't rape her," agreed Hange. "He came close without even realizing it, but it didn't come to that. I'm not saying it's an excuse. It's up to us as alphas to control ourselves around omegas, even if they're giving off a strong heat scent. We aren't animals, and it's not up to our omega counterparts to hide from us like dirty little secrets. Still, the alpha drive is a very powerful thing, as is the omega. It clouds our judgment and takes over in ways I just can't describe to beta types. It's primal and urgent, and when one person in an alpha/omega couple goes into a heat or a rut, it triggers their partner's mating urges as well."

"We aren't blaming Mike," Ness assured. "You don't have to try and explain it, Hange. Yeah, we'll never know what you alphas and omegas go through with your mating cycles, but it's common knowledge that they make your types about five times hornier than average. Personally, I'm glad I'm not numbered amongst the minority types."

"No kidding," huffed Oluo. "It sounds even more inconvenient than women's periods."

"Okay then. Just so we're clear: nobody's going to look down on Mike for this, right?"

Everyone shook their heads, and Hange relaxed. "Okay, then. The only reason I know about this at all is because I happened to be there, and I promised Mike never to tell anyone. I only told you all now because I can confirm what that kid accused him of."

"But he said 'rape', not 'almost rape'," Oluo pointed out.

"And he backpedaled shortly afterwards," mused Erwin. "He was speaking from a place of emotion, no doubt. He began with the accusation that Mike went through with it, but then he revised it when pressed."

"If that girl is his sister and she told him what happened, then he probably considers it rape even if it didn't get that far," reasoned Ness. "I know if my little sister came to me and said some guy tried to force her, I'd be livid. Not that I'm saying we should let him go on that account, but it's a better reason for what he did than what we were all assuming before."

"So his sister is spreading false rape accusations around," growled Nanaba, "and now Mike's in the hospital on the verge of death because of it."

"Calm yourself," ordered Erwin softly to her. "I'm not getting that impression at all, Nanaba. Fields alluded that he pressed his sister for the information, so I doubt she's offering it up freely to anyone."

"And he did correct himself and said that Mike _tried_ to rape her," Hange reminded, "so don't go jumping to conclusions. It's been two years. If that girl was spreading rumors around that Mike assaulted her, we damned sure would have heard something about it before now."

"Good point," muttered Oluo, scratching his chin. He looked back over his shoulder at the warehouse door. "So what does this mean for our friend in there? If we're all in agreement that we'd have done the same thing in his shoes, does that mean he gets a pass?"

Erwin's expression darkened. "No, it doesn't. The fact is, he could have handled this in several different ways. The most sensible of which would have been to approach his club leader with the allegations and request recompense from our syndicate for the harm done to his sister. That's how matters like this are supposed to be resolved, it's the way things work in this business. Mike would have undergone a syndicate trial, and we would have handled it accordingly. Instead, Spinner chose to act as judge, jury and executioner. Given that we have an eye-witness to confirm the crime was never carried out, there is no justification for his actions against Mike. The only thing this revelation changes is the manner in which we dispose of him."

"Tell me we aren't going to put Mike on trial for this when he wakes up," said Nanaba with slight alarm.

"I agree with her," stated Hange. "Mike has already been punishing himself well enough since the day it happened. Why do you think the man hasn't had a date in two years?"

"Thought he was just shy or something," muttered Dita. He sighed, and he shrugged. "I'm not keen on approaching Mike with this either, but there are rules. Even if he didn't go through with it, he no doubt did some emotional damage to that girl, and when it happened, she was associated with our business partners. It's a tough call to make."

"I am going to handle this myself, in due time," Erwin assured them. "Standing idle and doing nothing would damage my integrity, so I'll take it upon myself to offer recompense to the girl in Mike's stead. I'll speak to him about it when he's recovered enough to do so, and I'm sure he'll agree to garnish part of his profit cuts toward compensation for past wrongs. I think that's a fair compromise, given the circumstances. As for the rest of you, nobody is to bring this up to Mike when he regains consciousness. He will remain my Underboss, and if any of you judge him for what happened, say so now and get your grievances out in the open."

Nobody offered any. Oluo shrugged, looking around at his fellow captains. "We all know Zacharius. He's got a better code of honor than some of us, and who knows what any of us might have done in his place? Things got out of hand, and he stopped himself, so no judgment from me."

"Same," agreed Dita.

Hange nodded. "That sort of self-control isn't easy to come by for an alpha when the omega they want is in heat and they're making out. I can relate...not that I condone letting it go that far, but he made a mistake and he already knows it without being told."

"My opinion of him isn't changed by this," stated Nanaba. "I trust Mike to do the right thing."

"Then it's unanimous," said Erwin. "Let's go and deal with this issue, and get it over with. Nanaba, I'm sorry but this changes things a bit. I know you wanted to make this man suffer, but his reasons for what he did changes things. I will, however, allow you to be the one to pull the trigger, if it's your wish. I promised you that, and I'll keep my word."

"As long as he doesn't walk away from this," she said flatly.

"Then let's finish tonight's business and clean things up."

* * *

"We've discussed this matter amongst ourselves," Erwin informed the captive after they all went back into the warehouse. "If you'd have done things properly, things could have ended much differently. It didn't have to be this way, Zane."

The biker slumped in his chair, lowering his head. "It was worth it, to me. I'm ready."

Erwin drew a slow breath, feeling his conscience prick at him. He was feeling tired and old. He didn't want to have to do things like this anymore. His life had changed since starting a family with Levi, and he wished he could just be a happy parent and husband, focusing his energy on raising his family and loving his spouse. That was for other men, however. He was too invested in this business to back out of it now. It was as much a part of his life as Levi and his son were. He did have a successor, but Erwin couldn't in good conscience ask Mike to take over the syndicate for him and replace Shadis as the Consigliore. Not until Mike was fully recovered and agreeable to the proposal, at least.

"I want you to know that we are going to take care of your sister," Erwin informed him. "She'll receive and allowance from our syndicate for damages, and she will be officially under our protection from here on out."

The captive lifted his head to look up at Erwin, warily hopeful. "You mean it?"

"Of course," assured Erwin, "and if you know anything about me, you know that I'm a man of my word."

Zane considered this information. "She has a baby. A little girl named Kimberly. She's been raising her alone since the father split. I've been trying to take care of them, but..."

"Don't worry about that," assured Erwin. "They'll both be well taken care of, and Kimberly will have a trust fund for college in the future. You can at least rest at ease on that matter. Give us your sister's contact information and I will set things up myself."

Zane regarded Erwin with frightened, wary eyes.

"I give you my word, no harm will come to her," Erwin promised. "We'll locate her and contact her regardless, but I'm giving you this chance to make it easier. Protection for life, Zane. That is what I'm offering your sibling. You can leave this world knowing you did something good for your family. The choice is yours."

Zane hesitated for a moment longer, and then he bowed his head and told them his sister's address and contact information. "You'd better not be lying," he said in a shaky voice after Hange took the information down. "I'll find a way to come back and fucking haunt you if you do anything to her or my niece!"

"I believe you," answered the mafia boss sincerely.

He stepped back, and he gave Nanaba the nod. This was her kill, much as Erwin would have been happy to do it himself. Now, however, he didn't envy Nanaba's position. She took aim with her gun, but she hesitated. She stared Zane down, and Erwin could see the moral dilemma in her eyes. It was easy when she didn't know his reasons behind the shooting. When Nanaba thought Zane was just some punk trying to make a name for himself, she could write him off as a simple villain. Now it wasn't so black and white, and Erwin thought for a moment that she would lose her nerve.

"Nanaba, if you want me to—" Hange started to offer, but then a look of determination crossed Nanaba's blood-splattered face, and the gun went off with a muffled shot. Zane's head snapped back, and his body twitched for a moment before going still. He slumped in his chair, killed instantly by the bullet to his head.

"Well, that was fast," remarked Oluo, and then he jumped when Nanaba started unloading rounds into the corpse without warning, yelling at the top of her lungs. He grabbed onto Dita and backed up with wide eyes as the blonde took out all of her rage on their victim.

Hange was the first to approach Nanaba when her bullet chamber was empty and the blonde kept pulling the trigger. The alpha female put comforting hands on her smaller beta companion's shoulders.

"Better?" Hange murmured.

Nanaba lowered the gun, and she choked back a sob. Hange gently took the firearm from her, and she embraced Nanaba. "Shh, it's all right."

Erwin looked between the two embracing women and the bullet-peppered body of the man who had shot Mike, and he wondered if he'd made the right choice in allowing Nanaba to be the one to pull the trigger.

* * *

After having dinner and working out for a solid hour, Levi decided to busy himself with his writing while waiting to hear from his spouse. When midnight approached without a word, he started to get worried...and that made him irritable. He picked up his phone and sent a text to Erwin, pestering be damned.

_"Still haven't heard from you. Better not be in jail."_

Levi set the phone down, and he tried to pick up where he left off with his comic. Shitty Stan was just about to face down with his nemesis, Dr. Plug. As he worked on outlining the next page, he shook his head in amazement.

"Heh, I still can't believe how popular this garbage is."

He'd done it as a joke, really. He never expected the comic to take off the way it had. Levi wasn't sure if that pleased or worried him. It made him wonder just how low the collective IQ of the public had dropped over the years, but it was making him money on the side, so he supposed he should be grateful.

He got about a fourth of the way through the page when he heard his son crying through the baby monitor. Levi saved his work and got up to go and see to Lance. "All right, I'm coming," he called out as he made his way down the hall to the nursery. The baby's cries got louder as if inspired by the sound of his father's voice.

"Keep your diapers on, kid." Levi ducked into the room, and he approached the crib.

Lance immediately quieted when he saw the omega's familiar face peering down at him. He reached up with his chubby little hands and made a grasping gesture, letting Levi know he wanted to be picked up.

"Lonely, huh?" Levi scooped the child up into his arms, and he rested Lance against his chest. He rubbed his back soothingly, and the baby hiccupped. "It's almost time for your late night feeding. I guess we can do that early."

Levi grabbed the baby blanket to cover his son's onesie-clad body to keep him warm, and he carried him downstairs to the first level of the house. Lance grabbed at his earring as Levi made his way to the kitchen, and the omega jerked his head aside so the child wouldn't tug at it.

"No, that's not a toy," he reprimanded softly. He started to ease Lance down in the little rocking swing set in the dining room just outside the kitchen, intending to mix Lance's formula for him. Levi heard the front door open just as he was lowering the baby into the rocking device, and he halted.

"Levi?" called Erwin's voice from the foyer.

Levi hiked Lance back up into his arms, and he hurried toward the sound of his husband's voice. He stopped before Erwin in the foyer as the blond set down his briefcase, and he looked him up and down.

"Holy shit," Levi muttered, "I just did a wife-over on you."

Erwin straightened up with a puzzled look. "A 'wife-over'?"

Levi nodded. "Yeah, you know...that thing wives stuck at home do when their men get back from a war. See what you did to me?"

Erwin's chuckle sounded a bit strained. "I see. I'm sorry to make you worry, but I'm home now, and everything is taken care of."

Levi could see something in his mate's eyes that told him things might be taken care of, but they weren't fine. The blue of Erwin's eyes was too bright, like he was holding back some powerful emotion and on the verge of tears. Levi softened his expression and his harsh tone, guessing what might be the source of this tension he sensed.

"It was bad, wasn't it?"

Erwin lowered his gaze, and he nodded. "Can we talk about it tomorrow?"

"Sure. You just got home, so take a load off."

Erwin looked at him again, his handsome features expressing gratitude. "Thank you for understanding." His gaze flicked to Lance, and he held his arms out. "I'd like to hold our son."

Levi obligingly brought the child to him, and he eased him into Erwin's outstretched arms. "Here, kiddo. Go to your 'dada'."

Erwin took Lance, and he hugged the child to his chest as if seeking comfort from his presence. "There's my little man. Have you been good for your 'poopa' while I was away?"

"He was a little fussy after lunch because his gums were sore," explained Levi. "I got him to settle down after a while, though. I'll be glad when the rest of his teeth come in and we don't have to worry about that part anymore. I thought it would be over with by now."

"It depends on the individual child," said Erwin. He smiled at Levi. "Just imagine how much fun we're going to have when his adult teeth start coming in, and we have to pull his baby teeth."

"Fuck, don't remind me," groused the omega. He'd actually forgotten all about that little chapter of growing up they would have to deal with. Lance whimpered, and Levi was reminded of why he'd brought him downstairs. "I'll go and get his formula mixture ready. You can feed him, if you want to."

"I will," agreed Erwin. "I'll have a seat in the main parlor while you prepare it. Thank you, Levi."

Levi went into the kitchen to prepare the special mixture for Lance's dietary needs, warming up a fourth of a cup of refrigerated blood to blend in with the baby formula. Unfortunately, Lance would need to stay on formula longer than the average child, even after he was able to chew solids. Eventually he would be able to drink from a sippy cup on his own, but until then, the formula would have to remain a part of his daily diet.

Once he got the blend shaken up in the bottle and warm enough, Levi joined his spouse in the parlor. He brought the bottle to Erwin, and he had a seat beside him on the couch as the omega gave their son his late night feeding. Lance was able to hold the bottle himself now, so all that Erwin really had to do was hold him and supervise while he suckled.

"We can't take him to a regular dentist," Levi said, reminded of another complication they were going to have to deal with. "I know it's early to be worrying about that, but by the time he should be getting regular dental checkups, his fangs will be due to start coming in."

Erwin looked up from the baby in his arms, his smile fading. "I hadn't considered that. What should we do?"

"I've got a guy," answered the vampire with a shrug. "He's been doing my dental work for years, and he's the only orthodontist in the area I trust with my choppers. He doesn't usually have kids as his clients, but he knows about vamps and how our mouths work. He's the best option we've got."

"A vampire dentist," mused Erwin. "All right, I'll leave that to you, then. I was going to ask my dentist for a good children's clinic, but your idea is the better one."

Levi leaned against Erwin and put his head on the alpha's shoulder as their son finished his meal. "I'm glad you're okay," he murmured, blushing over his own fawning. He didn't think he'd ever get used to openly showing affection, but he believed he was getting better about it.

Erwin turned his head to nuzzle Levi's hair, breathing in his scent. "I'm glad you waited up for me."

"Tch, I rarely go to bed before two in the morning anyhow," excused Levi. More softly, he added: "but if you still hadn't come home by then, I'd have stayed up all night waiting for you."

"Then I'm a very fortunate man."

* * *

After they settled Lance back in for bed, the couple retired to their bedroom down the hall. Erwin had a quick shower, though he'd already had one before returning home. He hadn't been the one to pull the trigger...had barely done more than talk throughout the encounter with Fields. Still, he felt like he had blood on him that just wouldn't wash off. It wasn't the norm for him to feel this way, especially after dealing with someone that foolishly crossed his family. He kept seeing Zane's bruised and swollen, desperate face in his mind's eye, and he stood at the basin with a towel draped over his waist, rubbing his temples to try and banish a headache.

"Oi, big guy, are you coming to bed or what?" Levi called from the adjoining bedroom.

"Coming right out," answered the blond.

He sighed heavily, and he removed the towel to hang it up on the rack. He stepped naked out of the bathroom into the bedroom, where he found Levi reclining under the sheets in their king-sized bed. The omega's pale, hooded gaze roved over him with appreciation as Erwin approached, lingering for a moment on his groin. Levi had turned down the sheets on Erwin's side of the bed, and he patted the spot invitingly.

"Come here, you angelic-looking fucker."

Erwin gave the first genuine smile of the evening in response to that invitation. People could say what they would about Levi's crude manner of speaking, but he personally loved the man's lack of apology or censorship. He got into the bed with his mate, and he turned on his side. He reached out to Levi, and he hustled the smaller man closer to enjoy the feel of his body against his own.

"I thought about you constantly while I was away," confessed Erwin, kissing those pouty, soft lips lingeringly. "The entire time, all I wanted was to be at home with you and Lance. I think I'm getting too weary of this lifestyle, love. I just want to raise our family in peace and comfort."

"Maybe some day, you can have your wish." Levi combed his fingers through Erwin's blond locks, quietly soothing. "Just hang in there long enough for Mike to recover."

"I plan to," assured the alpha. "Mike is going to have to undergo physical therapy to fully recover from his ordeal, provided he even pulls through."

"I think he will," said Levi, uncommonly optimistic. "He's a tough bastard, and if he made it through surgery, I don't think he's going to croak on us now."

Levi kissed Erwin's throat, his lips silken and warm against the skin. "For now, let me help you forget about today."

His hand slid down the alpha's chest and stomach, drifting steadily lower. The omega licked at Erwin's neck in a way that reminded the blond of a kitten lapping up milk. Levi's hand curled around Erwin's length, holding it in a gentle, skilled grip. He teased the sensitive tip with the pad of his thumb, and he caught Erwin's mouth in a kiss.

As emotionally and physically exhausted as Erwin was, he could definitely appreciate the attention. He wasn't entirely sure he could get hard for his spouse, but the glide of Levi's tongue against his, coupled with the attentive stroking of his hand, soon had Erwin firming up under his attentions. Levi further demonstrated his erotic skills by rolling Erwin onto his back and straddling him. The omega flexed on top of Erwin, rubbing his arousal teasingly against the alpha's. Levi's hand wasn't big enough to grip both of them, so he took them in both hands to stroke them together. He gazed down at him with parted lips, his head tilted a little. Levi's eyes were beginning to glow in that reflective way, and Erwin could see the points of his elongated fangs peeking out.

He smiled up at Levi, admiring his small, fit body and his sculpted features. Erwin loved the raven highlights in his spouse's hair, loved the intensity of those silvery eyes when they lit up. He couldn't have been a luckier man, couldn't have found a better life partner than this if he'd tried. Perhaps it was fate that he'd never gone for it with the first omega he came close to proposing to. Levi was meant for him, and he in turn was meant for Levi.

Erwin closed his eyes and sighed with pleasure as his mate's attentions steadily worked him up. He looked up at him again, now fully hard, and he watched the omega's graceful gyrations. That body was meant to dance, even if Levi claimed he'd only ever done it for the money. He didn't have the personality to do things like ballroom dancing or choreography, but he had the erotic moves down to an art.

Erwin sat up suddenly, and he put one arm around his spouse to support Levi's balance. He reached between their bodies, urged Levi's hands away and curled his larger hand around both their cocks. Levi gasped and put his arms around Erwin's neck as the blond started frot-stroking in his place.

"All right," panted Levi, "so you've got more ideal-sized hands for this kind of thing."

Erwin kissed him deeply, rocking beneath him with increasing arousal. "You may have smaller hands," he husked against his omega's mouth, "but you know how to use them to work me up fast."

Levi flushed at the compliment, and Erwin grinned. He loved to bring out that bashful side of Levi, though the little demon would never admit to feeling shy. Erwin needed more, though. He needed to be distracted from this terrible, illogical guilt he felt.

"Levi, bite me."

The vampire drew back a bit, searching Erwin's eyes. "It hasn't been long since I last fed on you. I usually only do it once a week. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Bite me. Do it hard, Levi. Make it painful."

Levi put his hand over the one Erwin was stroking them both with, and the glow in his eyes faded as he put a stop to Erwin's actions. His brows pinched in a subtly troubled manner, and he spoke softly, seriously.

"So you want to be punished, is that it?"

Erwin didn't answer him verbally, but his eyes said it all. Levi sighed, and he cupped Erwin's face in his hands. "You idiot. I don't know what went down since you don't want to talk about it, but I'm sure you only did what you had to do. How is me tearing into your throat going to help anything?"

"It will," insisted Erwin. "Please, Levi. I..."

He couldn't describe how he felt. If he told his mate that he needed it to feel alive, Levi would surely scoff at him and call him a mental case. Erwin didn't know how to articulate what it was like when Levi bit him, and he recalled the omega telling him once that some people could become addicted to a vampire's bite, due to the euphoria it induced. That wasn't it, though. While he did tend to swoon and get sexually excited during the act, there was just something else about it...a relinquishing of control that he'd never experienced before.

Levi stared at him for a few more moments, and then he sighed. He grabbed a handful of the longer hair above Erwin's undercut, and he yanked the alpha's head back roughly. "All right. I'm only doing this because I love you, creep. Say the word if you need me to stop."

Erwin didn't get the chance to answer. Levi's hot little mouth descended on his bared throat before he could so much as agree to his terms, and Erwin braced himself as he felt the sharp pinch of his husband's fangs. They bit in with a vigor that bordered on savage, and Erwin gasped and tensed under the assault. He was used to feeling only a slight sting, followed swiftly by a rush of pleasure as his blood was drawn. He'd never fully appreciated until now just how gentle Levi was when he fed on him. It was like being mauled by a panther, and Erwin could sense his mates anger and distress as Levi gouged holes in his throat with his fangs.

He didn't fight it. He shuddered in pain, but he bore it stoically. His blood spurted, and Erwin realized in a daze that Levi had torn the jugular, rather than piercing it. Erwin felt his blood trickling down his neck and shoulder, rushing out too fast for Levi to swallow it all. He groaned and put his arms around his husband, urging him on breathlessly. Despite the alarming rate at which he bled, Erwin's groin throbbed as that familiar bliss swept through him.

Levi pulled away after drinking sloppily for a moment, and he cursed vilely as he looked at the damage he'd done. "Fucking idiot!"

Erwin couldn't tell if Levi was directing that at him, or at himself. The omega bit into his own wrist, drawing blood, and he clamped it down against the wound in Erwin's neck. Dazed, the alpha felt a warm tingle where Levi's blood made contact with his torn flesh, and the pain began to fade.

"There," breathed Levi, his lips painted red with dripping blood. He licked it off, and he gave Erwin's face a light smack. "Oi, you're not gonna faint on me, are you? I just did an emergency patch to close it up before you lose too much blood."

Erwin realized why Levi had bitten his wrist, now.

_~That's right...vampire's regenerate flesh much faster than humans, if they're well-fed enough. His blood must have mended me.~_

He could see why Levi preferred to simply make small, manageable punctures that could be patched with first aid afterwards, given how messy this had proven to be.

"At least it hasn't gotten on the bedding," sighed, Levi. "Stay there, and hold your hand over it. I'll be back with some bandages."

Erwin watched him go into the bathroom, and even under such a messed up situation, he couldn't help but admire Levi's pale, tight little ass.

* * *

A short while later, Levi finished up his bandaging job on Erwin's throat after cleaning him up and applying some antiseptic. He tossed the soiled gauze into the wastepaper basket near Erwin's bedside table, and he set the first aid kit aside.

"Well," he sighed, "that could have gone bad. Next time, I'd rather you just talk about it to me. Now I feel like shit for gnawing on you like that."

Erwin grimaced. "I didn't think of how it would effect you, to be honest. I'm sorry, Levi. It was a selfish request on my part."

"I think I understand why you did it," Levi admitted softly. Despite the steps they'd taken in this relationship, both he and Erwin still had trouble expressing their innermost thoughts and feelings to another. In that respect, they were very much alike. He met his husband's eyes, and he straddled his lap again. "Just don't do that again, okay? Next time, I'll refuse. I'd rather kick your ass than risk tearing your throat open beyond repair and killing you."

"I understand."

Erwin traced Levi's features with his fingertips, and he looked genuinely contrite. He _felt_ genuinely contrite as well. Levi wondered if he would ever get used to the connection they had as mates. Sometimes—especially when fucking—he wasn't sure where he left off and Erwin began.

"What?" he murmured, lowering his gaze. "You keep staring at me."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Erwin smiled at him. "You're nice to stare at."

"I just threatened to kick your ass, and you're looking at me like I spouted a sonnet to you."

Erwin chuckled, and he stopped caressing the omega's face to glide his hands over his back. "In your own way, you did. Your words aren't exactly poetry, but they speak of your love for me."

Levi rolled his eyes, even as he blushed. "Sap."

Erwin's hands cupped his bottom possessively, and he pulled Levi flush against him. His groin had hardened, and it rubbed against Levi's inner thigh. "Perhaps I am. Maybe I'm just happy to have you as my mate."

"Maybe you're a glutton for punishment," murmured Levi, and then he kissed him.

* * *

A few days later, Hange had lunch with Nanaba. She didn't say so, but she was keeping an eye on her friend. She was concerned for her emotional state. As eager as Nanaba had been to pull the trigger on that man, Hange hadn't failed to notice her hesitation once she found out his reasons behind shooting Mike. It had to be weighing on her conscience, even if she believed with all her heart that Zane got what was coming to him.

Nanaba obviously knew the core reason behind Hange's attention, but if she minded it, she didn't say so. They enjoyed the bistro food together, and they tried to keep the subject light.

"How's the shrimp po-boy?" asked Hange after swallowing a bite of her reuben sandwich.

Nanaba nodded, unable to verbally respond right away because she was in the process of chewing her food. She had a drink of her soda to wash it down before answering. "Good. Want to try a bite?"

"Sure. Have a bite of mine, too."

The two women exchanged sandwiches for a taste.

"Hmm, I don't usually like reubens, but this one's pretty good," stated Nanaba, trading back with Hange. She sighed, and she stared at her po-boy absently. "You don't have to worry about me, you know."

"That's what friends do," insisted Hange, "and honestly, if I were in your place and someone had done that to Petra, I would have done much, much worse to them regardless of their excuse."

Nanaba smirked. "I believe you. How is Petra, by the way?"

Hange shrugged. "Back to work and doing fine. She was a little frustrated with me for being so secretive, but this is a part of our lifestyle I feel I have to shield her from as much as possible. She's too sweet and innocent to have the gory details thrown in her face."

"You love her very much," observed Nanaba. "I think she's stronger than you give her credit for though, Hange. You should be more open with her. She's your wife...your partner. You should be able to talk to her about these things. Everyone needs someone to talk to."

Hange reached across the table to squeeze Nanaba's free hand. "Yes, and that's why I'm here for you now. I talk to Petra about my fears and troubles, but I don't give her a detailed recap out of courtesy for her sensibilities. Trust me, she's a very supportive companion, and I know that girl is stronger than she looks. There's an iron soul behind those pretty doe eyes of hers."

Nanaba smiled a bit nostalgically. "I envy you. I never put much stock into the idea of 'finding the perfect mate', but when I look at how happy you and the boss are, I wish I had that for myself."

Hange quirked an eyebrow. "Well then, you'd better get over that bashful streak of yours and tell Mike how you feel, as soon as he's well enough. You don't get anything in life without taking some risks, and I for one don't think he would turn you down."

Nanaba sighed. "I suppose I've been waiting for him to make a move, but now that I know why he avoids dating, I could be waiting a damned long time. I'm also scared he might reject me. I'm not an omega, and that's what alphas are primed to want, right?"

Hange snorted. "No. Omegas are a fine catch to be sure, but what alphas are primed to want is sex, plain and simple. He respects you, Nan. I'll bet he would have made a move on you long ago, if he didn't have his hangups. It's time for _you_ to take charge and show him you're woman enough for him."

Nanaba's face pinkened a little. "I don't usually run after guys. If they're interested, I put them through a screening process and—"

Hange burst into laughter, pausing mid-way through her next bite of her sandwich. "Oh good god, a screening process? What do you do if they fail it? Cut their balls off?"

Nanaba laughed softly as well, and she shook her head. "No, but I have standards. If some guy wants to be with me, he's got to accept me as I am. I'm not going to be one of those simpering fools that changes herself to meet a guy's expectations. So far, I haven't found anyone that fits the bill."

Hange sobered, and she looked her friend in the eye. "Not even Mike? He seems to like you for who you are. I'm willing to bet if he'd seen you in action against his shooter, he'd have popped a substantial boner."

The blonde grinned, and she reached for her drink. "You think so?"

"Are you kidding? You obviously haven't heard the praise he gives to you. Mike's taste in women might have once been for the meek and feminine type, but I think that's changed."

Nanaba's mouth fell open, and her brows drew down. "Are you saying I'm not feminine?"

Hange waved a hand and shook her head. "No! I just meant—"

Nanaba undid the top three buttons of her blouse and tugged it open to reveal her cleavage. "I've got as much as the next girl, see?"

Hange stared for a moment, and then she coughed into her hand and glanced to the side. "Y-yes, I see. Those are very...nice. Now put them away, or else our waiter is going to be tipping _you_ instead of the other way around."

Nanaba snapped out of her volatile mood, and she had the grace to look embarrassed as she did up her shirt buttons. "Sorry. I don't know what the hell got into me."

"I do," stated Hange with a smirk. "You've got it bad for our sniffy blond giant, and you've been trying to catch his attention with subtle reminders that you are, in fact, a woman. You've grown your hair out, you've been wearing skirt suits to business meetings, and you've started wearing a little makeup."

Hange leaned in closer over the table, and she sobered. "I'm telling you now that you don't need all of that to get Mike's attention. You've had it for a while now. He's just so subtle and guarded about it that most people don't notice. I have, and so has Erwin."

Hange's phone went off, and she got it out of her blazer to look at the text she'd received. "Well, speak of the devil! It's a text from Erwin. Mike's awake, at last."

* * *

"That's the last thing I remember," Mike said some time later after Nanaba and Hange came to visit him at the hospital. Erwin was there as well, sitting silently in the chair on the other side of the room.

"Did he tell you?" Hange prompted, glancing Erwin's way.

He was being especially hard to read today, and like her associate, Nanaba looked at their boss and tried to tell what he was thinking. It was no good. Erwin's expression might have been made of stone, and for some reason, it bothered her. Nanaba's imagination started running away with her, and she wondered if the boss disapproved of her actions against Spinner. Maybe Erwin had wanted to let him go, but he had to choose otherwise to save face in front of his associates.

"Yeah, Erwin told me everything. Too bad I was still out of it and couldn't do it myself."

Erwin checked his watch, and he got up. "Well, I have a meeting to get to with our stockbrokers. Mike, It's good to have you back. Girls, don't wear him out too much. The doctors say he still needs plenty of rest, even though he's only recently regained consciousness."

Hange nodded. "Got it, boss. Do you need me to take second chair at this meeting of yours?"

Erwin considered it, and he nodded. "Actually, that would be nice. Dita, Oluo and Mikasa are busy making collections today, or I'd have asked one of them to join me."

"All right, I'm right behind you." Hange turned to face Mike again, and she bent over to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Looks like I'm out of here too. Keep chugging along, big guy. We miss you at the table."

"I'll work on it," promised Mike.

Hange patted Nanaba on the shoulder, and she gave the blonde a subtle wink in passing as she headed out the door.

_~He's all yours now, girlfriend. This is your chance!~_

Nanaba took a deep breath, wondering if this was a good time to confess her feelings for Mike. He was probably on morphine for pain management, so she couldn't be sure that any of his reactions would be genuine. With a sigh, she pulled up the chair that Erwin had been sitting in, and she seated herself in it.

"So," she said awkwardly, watching Mike from beneath lowered lashes. He was pale and a little gaunt from his experience, but to her, he was still quite handsome.

"So," he repeated softly. A smirk curved his lips, and he sniffed. "You smell uncertain, Nan. Having regrets about going gangster on that guy?"

Amazed as always by the way the man could read people by their smell alone, Nanaba self-consciously had a sniff of her own arm.

"You don't stink," Mike told her with a soft chuckle. He coughed, and he winced at the pain brought on by the action. When he regained control, he spoke again. "I just don't want you losing any sleep over it."

"Believe me, it was my pleasure," stated Nanaba firmly. "So, Erwin told you all about it, did he?"

"Yeah. He told me you latched onto the guy's car with some kind of climbing gear and took him out like a super heroine. Wish I'd have seen it."

Nanaba flushed with pleasure, and she grinned. "I wasn't about to let him get away. Not after what he did to you."

Mike nodded. He lowered his gaze. "He also told me Spinner's reason for shooting me. I suppose you were there to hear it?"

She bit her lip, and she reached out to lay her hand over his. "Yes. I was there. It doesn't make a difference to me. What he did was cowardly. You had no chance to defend yourself, and it was far beyond out of line for him to deal with his grievances with attempted murder."

Mike swallowed. "I was hoping you'd never find out about that."

"I'm not judging you," she insisted. "Hange vouched for you. She told us she was there when it happened and you never did what that asshole accused you of. His own sister even told him you didn't go through with it, but he chose to ignore that and made up his own scenario. Now he's paid the price for his actions."

"Erwin's not going to a meeting," informed Mike with a frown. "He's going to her place today to offer restitution. I've been trying to send her money since I found out she had a kid, but she's never accepted it."

"Well, that's hardly your fault," stammered Nanaba, surprised and yet not surprised. Of course Mike would try to make up for that unfortunate incident. That was the sort of man he was, and only his closest friends could have guessed. She was more surprised that she hadn't already considered that he might do that. "If she won't accept your help, then it's on her."

"You're kind, Nanaba," sighed Mike. "Maybe too kind."

"You don't deserve to be a pariah over this," she insisted. "You stopped yourself, and that's more than most men would do...especially alphas driven into rut by an omega's heat. I understand how things work, and you've done right by her."

"You see?" Mike whispered. He lifted Nanaba's hand in his, and he kissed the top of it. "So kind."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Stop that before I kiss you on the mouth."

He lifted his head and met her gaze. "Why would you do that?"

_~Oh, you daft bastard.~_

Nanaba resisted a sigh. Hange was right; if anyone was going to make a move, it would have to be her. Gathering her courage, she scooted her chair closer to the bed. She squeezed his big hand in hers, and she went for broke.

"All right, I'm just going to lay my cards on the table, here. I like you. I've liked you for a long time, but you're so closed off. I've been waiting for so long to get some kind of signal from you, some indication that you share my attraction. Do you like me in that way, Mike? Shit, maybe I shouldn't be asking you this right now. You're in recovery and—"

"I like you," he interrupted softly. He looked away. "Think I haven't noticed you? With your cute little smirks and your iron determination? Think again."

Her heart skipped a beat again, and her breath caught. "Are you sure it's not just the pain meds talking right now?"

"I refused 'em," he stated. "I don't like the way they dull my senses. It's really me talking, but it doesn't really matter."

Nanaba was about to ask him why he would torture himself by refusing to take medication when he was so obviously in pain, but the latter part of his statement caught her attention the most.

"What do you mean, 'it really doesn't matter'?"

He sighed. "Because no matter how much I like someone, I won't do anything with them."

"Why?" she demanded. She got out of her chair, and she planted herself lightly on the side of his hospital bed. Greatly daring, she reached out to comb her fingers through his tangled blond hair. It was a bit oily and in need of a wash, but Nanaba didn't care. "Why live like a monk? You're a young guy in his prime, and you've got to get lonely."

"I do, but what I did was unforgivable."

Nanaba stroked his face, and her heart ached for him. "You took responsibility, Mike. I'll say it again: that's more than most guys would do. And besides, maybe you aren't meant to be with an omega. Maybe it's time for a beta to step in, hmm? And by that, I mean me. I can take it. I'm stronger than most people think."

"I know how strong you are," he amended. "That was never in question. I'm just not real sure of myself. I don't want anything like that to happen again."

"It won't," Nanaba insisted. "Beta females don't have heats."

"But alphas like me still have ruts," he reminded her gently. "I wouldn't want to hurt you."

Nanaba sighed, and she leaned in to kiss him softly on the mouth. "I can take it. Damn it, Mike, I'm laying it all out for you. I'm humiliating myself, here. Work with me."

He smirked against her lips, and he reached up to cup the back of her head. "I've never had a girl come after me like this before."

"Then consider yourself special," she breathed, "because I don't usually go after guys like this."

With that said, she kissed him more deeply, practically swallowing his tongue in her mouth. The door opened as they embraced, and a nurse started to come in. "Good afternoon, Mr. Zacharius. I've come with...oh. OH! Uh...never mind."

Nanaba didn't even spare a glance. She chuckled into her companion's mouth as the nurse hastily excused herself from the room.

* * *

_~Here we go. Damn, I wish I were at home with Levi and our son right now.~_

Erwin nonetheless rang the doorbell of the small townhouse, and his one comfort was that Hange was right behind him. Not that she was the most congenial person on most days, but she was a witness to the event, and he wanted someone with him that could compare notes. He rang again after a couple of moments, and finally, a young omega woman answered the door. She had light brown wavy hair down to her hips, brown eyes and a tan complexion. She looked up at him blankly for a moment, and then recognition seemed to settle in. He could sense her fear, and Erwin quickly acted to rectify it.

"We don't mean you any harm," he said gently to the woman. "Please, let us inside so that we can discuss something of importance, Miss."

"There's nothing to talk about," Katrina said in an unsteady voice. "I've told him I don't need his money."

Guessing she meant Mike, Erwin nodded. "I understand, but I must insist. This goes beyond Mike, I'm afraid. Just hear me out. If you still want us to leave after discussing my proposal, we'll trouble you no more."

She sniffed, wiped at her eyes and glanced behind her into the house. After a few seconds of debate, she opened the door the rest of the way and let him and Hange in.

"The place is a mess right now," explained Katrina. "I've had a death in the family just recently, so cleaning hasn't been a priority."

Erwin's expression was set and calm, giving away none of his inner feelings about her statement. "I see. Our condolences, Miss Fields. I'm Erwin Smith, and my companion is—"

"I know who you both are, sir," interrupted the young woman. "I'm sorry to be rude, but would you please tell me what this is all about?"

A baby's cry reached their ears from the upstairs floor, and Katrina swore softly under her breath. "Hold that thought, please. I need to get my daughter."

Erwin and Hange waited in the living room while Katrina went upstairs to get her child. Hange leaned in close to whisper to the blond. "Mike must have told her all about us, or else she did her homework and looked it all up. I'm not sure if I would credit her with the intelligence for the latter, though. After all, the girl wasn't bothering with suppressants when she was dating Mike, and most omegas have the sense to avoid going into heat while involved with an alpha they haven't fully committed to, yet."

"Maybe she was never properly taught the nuances of omega biology," whispered Erwin back. "Don't be so quick to assume, Hange. You and I both know that suppressants aren't always one-hundred percent guaranteed to work at all times for every omega."

"Hmm, I see your point." Hange shrugged. "Maybe I'm being unfair, but the fact that Mike has been trying to do right by her and she won't accept his help has lowered my opinion of her smarts. She could have taken advantage and lived comfortably on the percentage of his earnings he was willing to give her."

"Perhaps it's merely pride that drove her," he suggested. "How can you or I judge what it feels like for someone to get offered payoffs by the person that nearly violated them? Maybe she just wanted him out of her life and wished to move on."

Hange regarded him thoughtfully. "There's those sharp observation skills of yours. I think you've gotten more sensitive to others' feelings, too. Are you okay, Erwin?"

"I'm fine," he answered sedately. "I'm just considering things from every angle. I feel we need to make this arrangement for the sake of integrity, and it would help Mike with his guilt. He's already insisted that the financial allowance come out of his earnings as planned, if we manage to convince her. We just won't tell her that."

"Ah, good thinking," she approved with a nod. "She might not be so quick to turn it down if it's offered to her as restitution from the syndicate, rather than Mike alone."

Katrina came back down the stairs holding a swaddled infant of about ten months in age. She stopped at the foot of the stairs, looking at the two mafia members warily. "Sorry for the interruption. This is my daughter Kimberly."

Erwin approached slowly so as not to intimidate the omega woman, and he smiled down at the baby in her arms. "Hello, Kimberly." He looked at Katrina. "I have a child of my own around her age; a son. There's nothing quite like being a dad for the first time. I imagine your daughter's father is very proud."

Erwin ignored the sharp look Hange gave him. He had a reason for bringing up the baby daddy, and he couldn't explain it to her right now.

"The father isn't in the picture," stated Katrina flatly. "I'm raising her alone."

Erwin nodded in understanding, asking no questions about the details. Now he knew she was honest enough, at least. That was a personal thing to reveal to a stranger. She could have made something up or just played it mute and smiled with agreement, leaving him to draw his own conclusions about her relationship status.

"Well Katrina, then I'm sure you'll find what we have to offer more than a little helpful," Erwin went on, moving on to the next step in his plan. "You seem to already know the reason for our visit, but let's clarify, shall we?"

She sighed, and she looked down at the baby in her arms. "You're here because I won't take Mike's money. That's the only reason I can think of for you to come here yourself, Mr. Smith. Unless you were looking for my brother for some kind of business, in which case, you won't find him. We're burying him this week."

"Again, I'm sorry for your loss," offered the mafia boss. "Your first guess was right, however. Mike is my right-hand man, and he recently confessed to me that some time back, there was an unfortunate incident between the two of you. I won't go into the details, Miss."

She flushed, and she grimaced. "Thank you for being discreet. I never wanted others to know about that." She looked at Hange, nodding at her. "She was there. I'm sure she told you what she saw."

"She did," answered Erwin. "I'd like to thank you for not pressing charges against Mike."

"There was nothing to press charges _for_ ," insisted Katrina. "He stopped. He just scared me some, but he didn't hurt me or keep going against my will. I just wanted to forget about it and move on with my life."

"I understand, but you need to understand that this is a matter of honor. You obviously know something about who I am and what sort of work I do, but you may not know that we have certain laws of our own, if you will. He was trying to do right by you, and I'm sure you could use the extra money. Why turn it down?"

She hesitated, and then she looked up at him with pained brown eyes. "Because I didn't feel right about taking his money, Mister. If he were Kimmy's father and it was child support, that would be different, but I don't want to get paid off because he feels guilty over that night. It...it was my fault."

Erwin tilted his head. "How so? Katrina, you were the victim, here. Though it never escalated to the point of rape, it obviously caused you grief and still does. To that end, I'm afraid we can't ignore it. You are from this day forward under my protection, whether you wish to be or not. If you're ever in trouble, contact me and I'll take care of it."

He retrieved a business card from the pocket of his blazer, and he set it down on the dining table without offering it directly to her. "You can tear it up if you wish, but it won't change anything. In addition, your daughter needs things that you're no doubt going to struggle to give her on your own. If not for yourself, accept my organization's financial aid for Kimberly. I'll set up a trust fund for her myself. With it, she could have a good college education in her future. You want that for her, don't you?"

She looked a bit aggrieved, and Erwin added: "Katrina, you need to understand something. In my position, there are certain expectations I have to meet. I'm afraid I'm not giving you a choice in this matter. If you want to resent me for it, so be it. Your daughter is going to have this trust fund arranged for her, however, and once she turns eighteen and graduates from high school, she'll have access to it. Not only will it pay for her college, but it will allow her to live comfortably for a while without struggling with debt. She'll probably even have enough to purchase a car of her own, as well."

Katrina caved in, and her eyes glistened with tears. "Thank you, Mr. Smith."

Erwin smiled. "I never thought I would see the day when I would have to bully someone into taking money from me. I have to admire your determination."

"Well, consider the source," she sighed, and then she winced and gave him an aggrieved look. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to come out sounding insulting."

He took it in stride, understanding her concerns. "It's all right. If it makes you feel any better, I can personally assure you that the allowance deposited into this trust fund each week will be coming from legitimate business within the law."

She didn't look like she quite believed him, but she didn't say so. She thanked him again, and Erwin decided it was time to leave. He wished her a good day, reminded her to call if she needed anything and informed her that he would set up the trust in a way that would allow her to withdraw a limited amount each month from it, should she need a little emergency cash for bills. He and Hange took their exit, and Erwin felt a little better about things.

"I've got to say, it was a stroke of genius for you to mention your son," Hange remarked as they got into the car together. She buckled up her seat belt and she checked traffic before pulling out of their parking spot. "It made you seem more sympathetic to her plight, I'm sure. Speaking to her one parent to another surely must have helped."

"I wasn't even considering it like that," mused Erwin. "In any case, I'm glad she accepted without too much difficulty. Perhaps Mike can rest easier now and move on, himself."

* * *

Erwin's prediction was correct. When he got the news that Katrina would finally accept the money, he put everything that he'd set aside for her into the trust fund as soon as he was well enough to go to the bank and make the deposit. Evidently, he'd been sitting on all the previous funds he'd tried to give to her, putting it aside in a second savings account just in case she ever changed her mind. Now that he no longer had that weight on his shoulders, he was able to focus on recovery.

It was a long and tiring process. He had to take it easy in the beginning while he was healing. At first, his physical therapy consisted of simple exercises designed to improve his cardio vascular and lung capacity, which was painful and left him out of breath quickly. Mike had lost weight while under the weather, and he was weakened from his ordeal. He underwent months of physical therapy combined with protein shakes to help regain his former strength and muscle mass.

Nanaba helped him whenever she could, despite his protests. She told him to drop the macho act and put his recovery before his pride, and to everyone's amazement, he did so. Though they never officially made an announcement, it was obvious to all of their associates that they'd started dating.

Meanwhile, Petra underwent corrective surgery in an attempt to reverse the sterilization procedure done to her against her will. Hange herself operated on her, having as much reason to want it to succeed as the dancer did. They immediately began trying to conceive after Petra recovered from surgery, but two years later, their efforts still hadn't seen any results. Petra spoke with Levi about it often, finding comfort in his support, even if he rarely did more than listen to her woes most of the time. Hange didn't speak with anyone about it, but it became obvious to her associates that she was frustrated when she decided to shoot a hole in a guy's hand for being late paying his dues to the syndicate. After that, Erwin didn't send her on collections anymore.

Levi had his hands full with his writing, helping to manage the club and taking care of Lance. The child was growing quickly, and he was in that challenging stage of toddler-hood where the word: "No" was his favorite thing to say, while at the same time he ignored the same word when issued to him by adults. Levi had to child-proof all the cabinets and drawers after catching his son getting into the cleaning products in the upper floor bathroom. Fortunately, Levi caught him in the act before any real harm was done, but he didn't trust Lance to comprehend why it was forbidden to play with cleaning products.

Most nights when Erwin got home, the omega was cranky from another long day with little time to himself, and Erwin started insisting that Levi get out of the house for a bit while he watched Lance. Levi mostly used the opportunity to take an evening jog at the park, but sometimes he went over to the place Eren was now sharing with Mikasa and Armin to visit with them.

On the subject of the trio, they were going strong in their relationship arrangement. Mikasa and Armin started out sharing Eren between them, but it involved into a full-fledged poly relationship. There was no talk of marriage between any of them, as such matrimony wasn't legal in their part of the world. That was okay by all three of them, because Armin was more logical than emotional, Mikasa was practical and Eren pretty much just went with the flow. The most important thing to them was that they were all happy and their relationship was no more complicated than a monogamous one. Their friends didn't really understand, but nobody judged them.

Eren watched Lance for Erwin and Levi sometimes so they could enjoy an adult night out. Petra usually took on babysitting duties, but sometimes she didn't have the hours off work to do it, so Eren took up the torch for her. He didn't mind. Lance could be a handful at times because he had Levi's stubbornness and Erwin's calculating mind. Eren wasn't an idiot, but he wasn't much of a plotter either, so he was chagrined to find he was no match for the toddler's scheming. Lance would often convince Eren that he was allowed to have a snack at night when in fact, he'd already had one before the dancer arrived. That was pretty impressive for a three-year-old. Levi gave Eren no end of shit about his gullibility and he warned him not to believe anything Lance tried to convince him of if it wasn't specifically written down on the babysitting instructions.

Then of course came the challenge of explaining to the child that Eren couldn't grant his requests. This usually resulted in an entire hour of sulking, pouting and grumbling. Inappropriately perhaps, Eren found it cute when Lance got pissy like that. It reminded him of a tiny Levi with blond hair and blue eyes. He could just imagine his mentor at that age, behaving the exact same way when he didn't get what he wanted. At least the boy didn't throw huge temper tantrums like some children that age. Lance seemed to have inherited Erwin's sense of dignity in that respect, and hilarious though it might seem, he wouldn't lower himself to hysterics.

By the time Lance's fourth birthday came around, Hange and Petra resigned themselves to the fact that they would probably never produce a child of their own, so they started looking into adoption. Friends and associates expressed their regrets for their dilemma, but Petra was bravely optimistic. She sometimes cried in the bathroom at night after Hange was asleep, but she refused to burden her wife with her disappointment, and she held onto hope that she would one day be a mother, even if her daughter or son didn't come from her own womb.

Hange busied herself with making connections so that the process could go easier, but the waiting list was up to five years long. She was doing her best to speed things up, and Petra worried about her emotional health. She shyly expressed her concerns to Erwin and asked him not to pile too many responsibilities on Hange for a while, to which he readily agreed.

All and all, things were going well for everyone, but Erwin was finding the life of a mafia boss less appealing by the day. He entertained fantasies about going into legitimate business and handing the torch over to Mike, now that the Underboss was fully recovered from his ordeal and handling things so well. He also wanted to approach Levi with the idea of having another baby, now that Lance was a bit more independent and nearly ready to start kindergarten schooling. He held off for a while on both, however, because he first needed to make arrangements to get a business empire underway before retiring as boss of his family. He also would need to have a serious talk with Shadis and see if he was willing to step down as Consigliore, with retirement benefits.

One night after reading Lance to sleep, Erwin joined his husband in their bedroom, and he found Levi standing at the window, looking at the night landscape. He approached quietly, and he spoke to him softly just to make sure he didn't surprise him and get an elbow to the face.

"What are you looking at?" Erwin embraced the omega from behind, and he rested his chin on the crown of his dark head.

"Just the skyline," answered Levi. He sighed. "I had 'the talk' with Lance today. I think he understands as well as a four-year-old can."

Erwin frowned, surprised. "Isn't he a bit young for the 'birds and the bees' talk?"

"Heh, not _that_ talk, idiot." Levi clarified. "The one about his nature. Lance knows he's different from other kids. He knows he needs a special diet, but it's time for him to start understanding why, and he needs to learn discretion. I don't want him blabbing to other kids about this stuff and end up with their parents thinking our son's mental."

Erwin bent over to kiss the shell of his mate's ear. "What other kids? We've been introducing him to beginning education at home. He's never around other children."

Levi compressed his lips, and he went silent.

"What is it, love?" Pressed Erwin, sensing that he was troubled.

"I'm starting to rethink the home schooling."

"Oh? I thought we agreed it was for the best, until his fangs come in."

"Yeah, I thought it was, but what kind of social life is this for a kid? I was isolated at that age too, and it didn't do me any favors. Kenny wasn't the ideal playmate."

Erwin chuckled softly, imagining the lanky, rough alpha trying to entertain a busy and restless child. "I imagine he wouldn't be."

"And I'm not much better," insisted Levi. "He needs to be around other kids his age, Erwin. I've been thinking about it a lot, and we've still got around a year before he starts his vampire teething. I want our brat to have some friends, unlike me at that age."

Erwin considered it. "We could look into enrollment at a private school, if you want."

"Public," corrected Levi. "I don't think they have private school kindergarten, anyway. Even if they did, I want our son to get an education about practical things, not get religion stuffed down his throat."

Erwin chuckled, and he untied Levi's robe to run his hands over his tight, toned little body. He toyed with the cross dangling from his spouse's neck. Tonight he was wearing the hand-carved wooden one that Petra had gifted him with during his pregnancy. "That's a bit ironic, consider your jewelry of choice."

"Its just a symbol I happen to like," protested Levi. "Seems every Ackerman does. Must be some kind of ancestral imperative, since we used to be vamp slayers."

Erwin caressed the omega's chest, taking a moment to fondle his sensitive nipples. Levi shivered in reaction, leaning back against him. Erwin started to harden in his boxer briefs, and he slid his hands lower down the smaller man's torso. He rested one big hand over Levi's lower abdomen, where his womb was located.

"You know, if we made a little brother or sister for him, Lance wouldn't be lacking in the company of another child. You still haven't made an appointment to get sterilized again, so don't tell me you haven't at least considered it."

Levi hesitated, and he rested his hands over the one on his stomach. "I'm not ready to say 'never', but I don't know about trying again right now. I've already got my hands full with Lance and the business and my writing. Plus I've finally looked into online classes to help with my writing."

"We can hire help," suggested Erwin.

"We've already got a maid that comes and cleans up twice a week."

"I meant help with Lance. A nanny, perhaps. That would give you more free time, and if we have another child, so much the better. I promise I won't always be so unavailable, Levi. I dropped a few hints Mike's way about the possibility of him taking over the syndicate, and he seemed favorable. I would still be involved of course, but as an advisor. I've been looking into buying out a legal practice and running it."

Levi turned around in the alpha's arms, and he stared up at him with uncommonly wide eyes. "Are you _shitting_ me? You? With a legal practice, of all things?"

"Why not?" Erwin smirked. "Given how often the law collides with the syndicate, having my own law firm might prove beneficial. It would also pull in a fair amount of money."

Levi rolled his eyes. "Figures that you'd come up with the idea of founding a mafia law firm. Sometimes I can't tell if you're brilliant or insane."

"Isn't that something you should be saying of Hange?" teased Erwin with a grin. He cupped Levi's chin, and he lowered his head to his for a kiss. "I'm only thinking of what could both benefit the syndicate and our family, in the future. If I get this off the ground, I can be more actively involved in raising our children."

"You keep saying 'children' in plural format," grumbled Levi.

"Well, I do hope to one day have more," admitted Erwin with a coaxing smile. "You haven't said much about my proposal concerning getting a nanny. I'm not trying to pressure you, but I'm asking you to consider it."

Levi seemed a little troubled. "I'll...think about it. As for the nanny, even that would be complicated, due to Lance's special needs. Any kids we have in the future will have the same problem, Erwin."

"I realize that," assured the blond, "and I know that both the pregnancy and Lance's birth were difficult on you. I'm just putting the suggestion out there, and I hope that you'll think about it."

"I think about it all the time," murmured Levi. He traced Erwin's collarbone, and then he touched the healing mark on the alpha's throat where he'd last bitten him. "You're right; I haven't gone through with setting up an appointment to get fixed again, because I've got this fear that if I do it, there won't be any going back this time. I don't want to fuck up our chances of having another kid in the future, even if I'm not ready right now. It's not a hard 'no', and at least if we go for a second one, I'll know what to expect and how to take care of myself better."

Erwin kissed him on the forehead, and then on the lips. "A 'maybe' is better than a 'no'. I can be content with that."

Or at least, he could take a break from nudging his spouse for a while. He would plant the seed again in a month or so...just a gentle reminder here and there that they were both still in their prime and should raise their family while they were still young enough to keep up with children.

* * *

-To be continued


	33. Chapter 33: Trio interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had a few requests to put a little more detail into the main side-pairings, so this chapter and the next will focus mostly on the trio and Petra/Hange relationships. Consider them a couple of interludes before the story wraps up, and a "thank you" to readers for sticking with the story! Sorry to those who aren't into these side pairings. I'm only giving them these two chapters of spotlight, and then it will focus again on our main pairing. I haven't decided whether to write a separate one-shot featuring Mike and Nanaba yet, but it's a possibility.

"Oh shit, I'm late!"

The anxious announcement jolted Armin out of his early morning stupor. He'd almost nodded off at the counter-island while sipping his coffee and reading the newspaper. He looked up at the sight of his wide-eyed lover charging into the kitchen, naked as the day he was born. Armin frowned at the clock over the kitchen sink, thinking that Eren must have woken up to the alarm the blond had set for himself and forgotten to disarm today.

"Eren, it's Sunday," reminded Armin, watching with bemusement as the omega snatched his keys off the wall hook by the cordless home phone. "It's also only seven AM."

"Yeah, but Levi and Kenny made me head dancer, and I'm taking over some of the scheduling responsibilities," explained Eren in a rush. "We open and close early on Sundays, and I promised Kenny I'd be there on time to go over the schedule with him this morning before we open the doors."

"Oh, I see." Armin got off the stool he was sitting on, and he went to the fridge to get out the carton of orange juice. "At least have some juice before you go. I can drop by some breakfast after I wake up and shower."

"No time!"

Eren started rushing through the kitchen archway for the front door, and the glory of his tanned, toned nudity momentarily distracted Armin enough to make him lapse. Then he shook himself out of it when he heard his companion slide the chain lock on the front door, and he hurried into the foyer, nearly spilling the glass of juice he'd poured for him.

"Eren...Eren! You can't go out like that!"

Eren paused, his green eyes still wide with panic. "Why not?" He glanced down at himself, seemed to realize he was naked, and he flushed. "Oh. Fuck, I guess I'm so used to being naked on the stage all the time, it's like a natural state of being for me now."

Armin tried not to laugh at him. He somehow managed to stifle it behind pinched lips, and he handed over the orange juice. "Go put some clothing on and drink this before you go. If you're already late, five more minutes won't make much of a difference."

"B-but Kenny—"

"I'll call him for you," offered the blond. "I'll explain the situation. Actually, I think it's _my_ fault you're late. I noticed the radio alarm was an hour behind the time I usually set it for myself, and I changed it last night. I suppose it's a good thing I failed to notice that I'd armed it, or you might be even later."

"I don't want him yelling at you," protested Eren softly.

Armin slipped an arm around the taller man, and he kissed him lingeringly on the mouth. "I can handle Kenny. He doesn't really have a good defense against polite logic. Go on, Eren."

Reluctantly, the omega did as Armin suggested and went to the spare bedroom where most of their casual clothing was stored in a big dresser. They'd done that to make more room in the master bedroom closet and dresser for underclothes and dress clothes, since they were trying to fit three wardrobes into one place. It was a three bedroom rental house, and they'd turned the smaller spare room into an office, while leaving the other room available as a guest bedroom.

Armin went to the home phone on the kitchen counter and he picked it up, searching through the contact list until he came to the Omega Experience office number. He dialed it, and he braced himself as it rang.

"Hello Mr. Ackerman, it's Armin Arlert," he greeted when the older man picked up the other line.

"What do you want, poindexter?"

Armin ignored the alpha's rude tone. "I just wanted to let you know that Eren is running a little behind today. He's on his way now."

Kenny growled. "I told that kid to be here on fucking time! If he's gonna step up and start helping run the business, he needs to get his damned head out of the clouds."

"It isn't his fault," excused Armin. "If you must be angry with someone, save it for me. He set our alarm clock to wake him up on time, but I didn't realize it and I reset it to my usual alarm time. He came in late last night when I was already asleep, so we didn't get the chance to talk and therefore, I didn't know about his early shift and thought I'd just mistakenly set it an hour too early."

"How the hell did you manage that, if you were asleep?"

Armin sighed. "I sometimes wake up before my alarm goes off, sir. It's just habit from being used to my work schedule. I checked it, reset it and thought nothing more about it until Eren got up. He should be there soon, okay?"

"Well, he'd better boogie," muttered Kenny. "If I'm not satisfied that he can take over some of my nephew's responsibilities, his window to promotion's history and I'll bring in outside help. Fucking Levi...leaving me with all this shit to..." Kenny broke off into mumbling.

"Um, yes. Well, have a good Sunday."

Armin hung up the phone and shook his head. "How does that man manage to be angry 24/7?"

Eren came back out of the hallway leading to the bedrooms, and he overheard Armin's self-conversation. "Because he doesn't know any other way to be," he offered, tugging on a blue and green ombre toned muscle shirt. He straightened it out, and he went to the counter island to set down the empty glass that had contained his OJ.

"Thanks for the juice," Eren said in a rush. "I'd better split. Love you."

Armin turned his head to accept Eren's quick kiss goodbye as the omega bent over him. That done, Eren charged for the door with his keys in one hand. He nearly knocked Mikasa over in the process of leaving. She was just coming back from whatever work she'd been doing since after dinner last night.

"Oooh, sorry Mika!" Eren righted her, and he scooted aside. "I'm running late."

"Then you'd better go," she advised, giving his bottom a squeeze.

"Yeah. Love you." Eren gave her a kiss as well, and then he was out of the house and heading for his car.

Mikasa entered through the front door with a sigh, and she closed and locked it behind her. She could see Armin in the kitchen from her vantage point, and their eyes met.

"What are we going to do with him?" Mikasa asked tiredly, and her dark, enigmatic eyes twinkled with humor. Her soft, shapely lips curved into a subtle smile, and she shrugged out of the light dress shirt she was wearing over her blue singlet.

"Ymir suggested we put him on a leash at the last party we went to," Armin said, smiling back. "I know she was kidding, but sometimes it seems appropriate. He nearly ran out of the house completely naked."

"I would say that I'm surprised, except that would be an untruth." Mikasa's tone was dry, and she set her little shoulder bag down beside her overshirt on the armchair near the front door. She joined Armin in the kitchen, and she inhaled the aroma of freshly brewed coffee with a sigh of appreciation.

"Do you want a cup?" offered Armin. "I'm sure you must be beat. I just made it about fifteen minutes ago."

"It's tempting, but I'd better not." Mikasa stroked Armin's bed-mussed, long pale hair. "I should just shower, go to bed and try to get a few hours' sleep in before I have to report to the boss. Anything interesting in the paper today?"

"Just the usual." Armin took another sip of his drink. He absently combed his bangs back with his fingers. His hair was nearly as long as Mikasa's in the back, reaching almost to his mid-back. "I'm seriously considering having this cut back to shoulder-length or shorter."

"Don't you dare," scolded the vampiress in an uncommonly sharp tone. "Your hair is beautiful, Armin. Both of us would mourn for it if you chopped it off."

He chuckled softly, flushing. "Well, I can't just let it grow completely wild. I've already gotten some comments from the board about the length of my bangs, so I need to at least trim it and keep it orderly."

"At least they aren't insisting you cut it short." Mikasa contradicted her earlier words by helping herself to a sip of Armin's coffee after he set it down. "Mmm, hazelnut. I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I should have asked."

"We share everything. There's no need to apologize, and I don't mind you having a taste if you don't want a full cup."

Armin looked down at the newspaper laid out on the counter, and he rubbed his temples.

"What's the matter?"

He glanced up at the lovely young woman seated beside him, and he wondered if he should say what was nagging his thoughts. This was Mikasa, though. She'd been his dear friend for years before they got into this commitment.

"I...please don't say anything to Eren about this, because it's probably just me over-thinking, and I don't want to destroy the good mood he's been in."

Mikasa frowned, and she leaned against the counter. "Talk to me, Armin."

He lowered his gaze. "I've just been thinking of Petra and Hange's situation a lot, lately. As more time goes by since Eren had his reversal procedure done, I can't help but wonder if it was all for nothing. Hange is brilliant and I know he wouldn't have a better chance at correcting what was done to him if he went to a different surgeon, but there are no guarantees. It's been almost six months since he had his surgery, and so far, he hasn't shown the slightest sign of impending heat."

"I know. I've been taking note of that too," confessed Mikasa, "but whether it happens or not, we all still have each other."

* * *

He was now one of the top two most popular dancers at the club. Since Levi stopped taking to the stage, Jaegerbomb was a main attraction that people of all types and gender clamored to see. The place always filled up during Eren's work shift, because he was the only male omega stripper around for miles...and people universally agreed that it was worth the wait at the door to get inside to see him perform. Above average in height with a light bronze complexion, a toned physique, green-gold eyes like gemstones and a smile to melt hearts, Jaegerbomb inspired many a naughty fantasy when he danced. Hopefully soon they would get another male omega applicant to replace the one that didn't work out, but until then, Eren was getting plenty of attention and tips.

He spun around on the pole before tossing his costume police cap off to the side and ripping his uniform shirt open. His brown hair was mussed on purpose to add to his routine's sex appeal, and the wink he gave one of the young women watching made her squeal. As the dancer started rolling his hips and gyrating with the beat, he pulled his audience in. Watching him, each patron could imagine he was speaking specifically to them with his body and his flashing eyes. Of course, this was just fantasy. In reality, the performer known as Jaegerbomb had two specific people on his mind, and neither of them were currently in the audience.

Eren swayed to the music, his grace on the stage belying the fact that he was generally a clumsy individual. He was thinking of his girlfriend and his boyfriend, of course. The three of them had picked up the pieces and returned to their regular lifestyles—with the exception of moving in together. They might even, in the future, start a family together. That depended on how well Eren's recent procedure took and whether his body was receptive to fertilization at all. He chose not to dwell on it, though. He was living in the now, taking it one day at a time.

He hardly had to think about what he was doing on the stage. It came naturally to him now, easy as breathing. His mind was completely elsewhere as he unzipped his fly and tugged his pants open, allowing a teasing glimpse of the groomed treasure trail leading to his groin. He turned around in a circle, giving people on all sides of the stage a front and backside view of his body. He grinned as he pulled his pants open a little further. Mikasa had done his man-scaping for him the last time, and she'd taken her time with it. Eren might have felt a little nervous about letting someone close to his genitals with a razor, but he trusted her, and she'd done a really good job without nicking him one bit. His thoughts remained on that moment as he bent over to unzip his knee-high boots.

Eren started thinking of how she'd looked kneeling in front of him in the shower, carefully scraping the razor over his lathered pubic area. She'd treated it like she was trying to paint a work of art, her pale features relaxed and her beautiful gray eyes focused. Her hair had been wet and slicked back, and her gorgeous, fit body sparkled with water from the spray of the shower. She'd looked up at him partway through her task, gave him a possessive little smile, and kissed his right thigh before continuing.

_~Uh-oh.~_

If there was one thing that could distract Eren from his performance, it was thinking _too_ much about Mikasa or Armin. He was starting to get aroused. At times like this, he wished he was more like his mentor. Levi didn't give a damn if he got a boner or produced slick while he was on stage—a thing that seemed to start happening often to him since the senior dancer got involved with Erwin Smith. Levi had advised Eren not to feel ashamed if he ever got in a state of excitement while performing, because if anything, it would earn him more tips. He said it made patrons feel special, like their presence got the dancer worked up. It was all about the fantasy; particularly when it happened during a private dance performance.

Eren couldn't quite grasp that mindset, though. While he was fine putting on a show with his body, his sexuality in itself was very personal to him. His vigor slowed, and he turned around to face the pole, cupping his junk in an attempt to hide its growth from the onlookers.

_~Go down...go down. Shit, don't do this to me now!~_

It was no good. His dick had a mind of its own, and its thoughts were clearly on his girlfriend. Eren groaned under his breath, making a show of flexing his butt cheeks for the audience to try and distract them from what was happening under his hands.

"Hey Farlan," called the dancer when it became abundantly clear to Eren that he wasn't going to be able to make his hard-on go down without some help. The bartender glanced up at him with raised brows, and Eren nodded at the fountain drink dispenser in Farlan's hand. "Hit me with that, would you?"

Farlan glanced down at the soda gun, shrugged and selected the button for the water before aiming it up at Eren. This wouldn't be the first time he'd drenched Eren upon request while he was up on the stage. Usually it was part of Eren's "fireman" routine, done near the end of the performance under the pretense that he was so hot he had to be put out. It didn't really go with the "policeman" persona, but Eren was beyond caring. He had to do _something_ to shock this boner away.

The cold spray of water hit him, and he was braced enough for it not to yelp. Eren accepted the punishing jet, and to his relief, it did the trick. He turned around and held his arms out as his package shrunk back to repose status, smiling at his own cleverness. Just when he thought he'd reigned in his libido, he spotted a familiar blond head in the crowd. Armin squeezed his way past people and stopped before the stage to watch Eren, and the problem started coming right back. Eren recalled that he and Armin were supposed to have a date tonight after his work shift. 

_~Damn it, I'm getting hot and bothered just by the sight of him! If Mikasa shows up too, I'm as good as doomed. I guess I need another spray.~_

"Hit me again, Farlan," requested Eren.

"Shit, really?" Farlan looked surprised, and his gaze traveled Eren's goosebump-riddled nudity. "You look like you could go hypothermic already."

Well aware of how cold the water from that dispenser was, Eren didn't dispute him. He usually only took one good spray when he added that little touch to his routine, and he didn't even do it each time he did the fireman bit. "I'm sure," he said, determined to avoid the outcome creeping up on him. "Go for it. One more time."

Farlan shook his head, but he did as Eren requested. The water struck the omega's body like needles, and this time, he couldn't avoid shivering. The audience loved it, though. Eren's groin shriveled again, but his nipples did the opposite and tightened to sharp pebbles. Eren didn't mind that so much. Nipples got hard when it got cold; it was a thing. When he looked at Armin again, he saw that the blond's mouth had fallen open a bit, and the beta was wincing in sympathy. Eren shrugged it off, deciding he'd just be honest with him about the reason behind his actions later on when he was off the clock. He wasn't shy about talking about such things, just having them happen while he was on the job.

Somehow, Eren made it through the rest of his stage performance without springing another woody. He breathed a sigh of relief when he went backstage, and soon after he made it into the dressing room, his problem returned. He stopped in his tracks on his way to his locker and he glared down at his groin irritably.

"Okay, I get it...you're horny," he told his bits, "but have a little fucking self-control, all right?"

His body wasn't listening to his lecture, of course. Eren might as well have been talking to thin air. Growling with annoyance, he twisted the combination lock on his storage compartment and yanked open the door. Fortunately, he had no more performances to do for the day. He could clock out and go home as soon as the clock struck five. He practically yanked his locker door open, and he hastily began to dress himself.

"Eren?"

The omega froze at the sound of his blond roomie's voice, and he turned to the backstage door entrance to find Armin standing there. He had a VIP tag around his neck, probably given to him by one of the bartenders. Still shirtless with his pants yet unzipped, Eren felt a brief flash of panic.

"Oh, hey." Eren gave him a sickly little grin, keeping his body turned away from the blond. It was bad enough that he was in such an aroused state. Being near Armin...smelling him...that was just exacerbating the situation. "So they gave you a backstage pass, huh?"

"Yes, when I asked for it." Armin stepped closer, and his head listed a bit in thought. "I'm sorry I didn't make it by here this morning with the donuts I'd promised. I got called into a staff meeting at work at the last moment. Eren, are you okay? You seemed a little...off on the stage a moment ago."

The room suddenly started to feel too enclosed and too hot. Eren began to sweat, and he wiped at his brow with an uneven laugh. "Yeah, I guess I just got a case of stage fright. I'm okay, Army."

The blond evidently wasn't convinced. If anything, he looked more concerned. He closed in on Eren, and he reached up to place his palm flat against the omega's flushed forehead. "You're hot," he observed softly. "Too hot. Eren, I think you could be running a fever."

"It's not a fever," insisted the dancer, panting softly. He was now fully erect in his pants, and his jaw tightened. Too close. Armin was too close, and all Eren wanted to do was grab him and crush his mouth against the beta's. His knees started to tremble, and his legs began to feel rubbery.

"Eren!" Armin put his arms around him as the omega started to buckle. Supporting his weight, the blond grunted and he started to guide Eren to the lounge. "Here, sit down. You're burning up!"

"I don't know what's up with me," gasped Eren, struggling to clear black spots from his vision. "I was fine a little while ago, and then all the sudden, I got...uh..."

He blushed deeply, embarrassed.

"You got what?" prompted Armin. He eased Eren down onto the couch, and he sat next to him. Armin combed his fingers through the dancer's shaggy brown hair, concern plainly written all over his gentle face. Armin sniffed at Eren's neck with a frown, and he pulled back to look him in the eyes.

"Eren...could you be having your first heat? You smell...I don't know, I can't describe it. I don't have the senses of an alpha, but there's definitely a sweet scent coming from you."

It then dawned on Eren for the first time that his issue might not be a medical problem at all, and his eyes widened. Unaware that his irises had gone from green to amber, he stared at his lover stupidly.

"Eren?" Armin's voice had dropped to a huskier note. Evidently, betas could be affected by the scent of an omega in heat after all. He caressed Eren's tense, sweating face with his fingertips. "I think we should get you home."

"I think...you might be right," admitted Eren. It was getting worse by the second, and he could feel his pants starting to get wet. He'd started producing copious amounts of slick, and the tingling in his nethers was making him squirm. He wanted to be fucked good and hard. He grabbed Armin's shirt, and he yanked the blond closer. Armin gave a soft gasp, his warm breath mingling with Eren's for a moment before the dancer closed in for a desperate, passionate kiss.

"Mm...Eren," muttered Armin when their lips briefly parted. He didn't get the chance to say anything more, because Eren was kissing him again immediately. Armin squeezed his knee, and his hand started creeping steadily up his thigh. "W-wait, we're getting a bit out of control," Armin gasped, clenching his hand into a fist and stopping just before he would have reached Eren's groin.

"God, I'm so fucking horny," groaned Eren. He dropped his forehead to Armin's shoulder, and he panted harshly for breath. "Feels like there's not enough air in here."

"Come on," urged Armin. He put an arm around Eren's waist, and he helped him off the couch. "Let's get you home so I can see to you. I'll call Mikasa."

"I just...want..." Eren couldn't articulate the burning need he felt, but Armin seemed to understand regardless.

"I know, Eren." Armin's breathing had picked up in rhythm as well; proof that he wasn't immune from the pheromones Eren was producing in his condition. "We'll take care of you."

* * *

Armin found that the task of taking care of Eren was far easier said than done. He wasn't prepared for how insatiable his boyfriend was, and he barely had the chance to text Mikasa and let her know what was happening before Eren dragged him off to the bedroom. He didn't even get his pants completely off before he was fairly tossed onto the bed. He got halfway into a sitting position before Eren was on top of him, and his startled ramblings were lost in the other male's hungry kisses. Eren got Armin's pants undone, shoved them down to the ankles, and then wriggled out of his own jeans.

"W-wait, Eren," gasped Armin as the omega yanked off his sweater and tossed it across the room. "Don't you need some preparation first?"

"No," panted Eren, his voice practically a whine of need. "I'm ready enough for you, babe."

While it was sincerely flattering to have such a gorgeous guy this desperate for his cock, Armin wasn't entirely convinced it was so easy. He knew how omega biology worked, but Eren was the first of his type that Armin had ever been with. Armin struggled into a sitting position, and he embraced his companion around the waist, gazing sternly into his brilliant, green-gold eyes.

"I really don't want to hurt you," husked Armin. "Please, slow down. I know it's hard to think in your condition, but even omegas need a bit of preparation. I can't just stick it in, Eren. It would hurt you, even with as much slick as you've got happening down there."

"My body's made to take cock," insisted Eren breathlessly, and he started planting soft kisses along Armin's throat and jaw. He reached down between his spread thighs to grip the blond's erection, and he lined himself up with it. "Just relax and let me take care of it, Armin. I can't wait."

Armin was sorely tempted to follow his advice, but his concern didn't fade. With a surge of strength that surprised even him, Armin bucked his hips off of the mattress, and he rolled over. It was uncommonly easy for him to pin Eren beneath him. The dancer was quite strong, and Armin had never managed to beat him at an arm wrestling contest. Now, however, Eren's strength seemed to be sapped by his condition. He panted helplessly beneath the blond as Armin wedged his hips between the dancer's tanned thighs and gripped his wrists tightly.

"No, I'm not going to just start pounding you," Armin said roughly fighting hard against his own arousal. "Not even if you beg me to. You deserve better than that from me."

_~God, he's so beautiful. I don't know how long I can hold back. The way he's looking at me right now...how do alphas control themselves around omegas in heat? I don't even have their olfactory senses and his scent is driving me crazy!~_

With that in mind, Armin considered how Mikasa might respond to the heat pheromones when she made it home. He should probably hurry things along to quench the worst of Eren's carnal need before their alpha got home, because if Mikasa went into a rut from exposure to this scent, she might lose her precious self-control and then Eren would _really_ be in for it.

"Calm down," murmured Armin. His voice sounded thick and rough to his own ears, and he released Eren's right wrist so that he could touch him. He lifted his hips up a bit to make room between the press of their bodies, and he slipped his hand between Eren's thighs. He kissed his lover's panting mouth, and he stroked the tips of his first two fingers against the slippery pucker he'd located beneath the dancer's scrotum.

"Easy," advised Armin gently, pressing his first finger in carefully. Eren moaned, his thighs falling open further instinctively, inviting more. Armin's finger went in easily, drawn in by Eren's moist, tight heat. He rubbed himself against the omega's thigh, feeling hyper sensitive and excited. "You're so sexy, Eren."

Eren cupped Armin's bottom with his free hand, his jaw tensing up. He sucked in sharp, quick breaths through his parted lips, and his brows furrowed over his intense, desperate eyes. He gasped Armin's name, and his left hand clenched into a fist. He struggled weakly in Armin's grasp, but he obviously was as weak as a kitten.

"Shit...so hot," panted Eren. His hair was getting damp with perspiration, and he tossed his head. "Armin...hurry!"

"I want to, believe me." He was getting dizzy, and Armin couldn't decide if it was due to the overpowering scent cloaking his lover, or if his heart was just beating so fast with his primal urges. He pumped his finger inside of Eren, and he nibbled his slack lips. "Just a little longer, Eren."

"Fuck," moaned Eren shakenly, his hips pinioning beneath the blond. Armin rewarded him for his cooperation by slipping a second finger inside of him, and Eren's gaze lost focus when he found his prostate and rubbed it. "Armin...Armin!"

"Shit," groaned Armin, his usually impeccable manners failing him at last. He scissored his fingers inside of his companion, and his cock twitched eagerly against Eren's smooth thigh. He couldn't wait any longer, and he could only hope that he'd exercised the omega's entrance enough to avoid hurting him. He gripped himself and lined up, and Eren spread his legs further apart and locked his ankles at the small of Armin's back.

"Yes. Fuck, yes!" moaned Eren as Armin fed him his length.

"I know," whimpered Armin, equally entranced by the sensation. He suffered a moment of doubt. He couldn't knot with Eren the way an alpha could, and he wondered if his beta cock would be enough to satisfy him. Mikasa would be home soon, though. Whatever Armin couldn't manage, she could.

"Feels so good," whispered Eren, eyes fluttering shut. He licked his lips, and he looked up at Armin once the blond was fully seated within him. "Stay like this for a minute, okay? I just...want to feel it like this, deep inside."

"Okay." Armin smiled at him tensely. He really wanted to move, but pleasing Eren was more important to him than his own urges. Another thought occurred to him, and he blinked down at his lover. "Oh no...we didn't think to use any protection!"

"I don't give a shit," stated the omega breathlessly. "We agreed to just let things happen, right? If I get pregnant, I get pregnant."

True, they had all three agreed to let nature take its course if Eren ever went into heat, but Armin was quite used to planning everything that went on in his life. It was difficult for him to just pee into the wind and ignore whatever consequences might come of it. Eren's thighs tightened around his waist, and the dancer moaned in delight. Armin kissed Eren's arching throat as he tossed his head, and he waited for a signal from him.

"Okay, I can't lie still anymore," whined Eren.

He began to undulate beneath Armin, panting softly. For the first time, Armin realized one of Eren's shoes was still on, and he might have laughed if he weren't caught up in the passion of the moment. He started to move as well, matching the omega's rolling hip motions. They both groaned, and their mouths sought each others' out in a kiss. Armin released Eren's wrist so that he could balance himself better, and he knew he was in very real danger of losing all sense of self-discipline.

* * *

That was how Mikasa found her housemates when she made it home. She called out for them the moment she stepped through the door, and when nobody answered her, she followed the intoxicating scent of omega pheromones to the bedroom. She dropped her keys to the floor in response to the sight that greeted her. Eren, flushed and sweaty on his back with Armin thrusting between his thighs. One of Eren's shoes dangled precariously on his left foot. It looked like he'd tried to get it off but just gave up. Armin was going to town on him more vigorously than Mikasa had ever seen before. Usually, the scholarly blond was so gentle with their omega companion when he topped him, to the point where Mikasa was always tempted to remind Armin that Eren was no china doll that would shatter with a little force.

Now there was clearly no need to encourage Armin to employ a bit of aggression. His ass flexed with his eager pumps, sporting pink marks on each cheek where Eren must have grabbed and squeezed them. They both looked utterly, sinfully gorgeous to her, and Mikasa's pulse hammered rapidly as her feet impulsively carried her over to the bed. She had no problem developing a clitoral erection, a thing which she couldn't always guarantee. Her alpha reproductive drive was responding strongly to Eren's omega scent, urging her to take Armin's place and mate with Eren until they were both spent.

Fortunately, Mikasa was in better control of herself than that. She ignored the impulse to rudely interfere with their lovemaking to take Armin's place. Instead, she sank down on the edge of the bed, and she ran a possessive hand over Armin's tense, trembling back. She crossed her right ankle over her left knee and she used her other hand to tug her boot off. Armin paused long enough to look at her, and beneath the haze of lust glimmering in his expressive blue eyes was a hint of embarrassment and apology.

"Mika," panted Armin, "I wanted to wait for you, but..."

She shook her head. "Don't apologize. Eren's needs were more important. I know you would have waited if you could."

"Join us," urged Eren, gazing up at her from beneath his busy companion.

His eyes were so bright and intense, he could have been a vampire himself. Mikasa couldn't stop staring, and the only thing that kept her from going still completely was the pressure between her thighs, reminding her that she had needs to fulfill as well. Ordinarily she was all too happy to have sex with him or Armin as a beta, save for when she could maintain clitoral extension and when she went into a rut. The latter had only happened twice since getting into this arrangement with the two of them, but now she could feel it coming on fast.

"This is going to be my first time with an omega in heat," she murmured, breath quickening. "I don't want to hurt you, Eren." Ironic, that she'd just been thinking Armin sometimes treated their lover too gingerly.

"You aren't going to hurt me," assured Eren. He wriggled beneath Armin, grabbing the blond's ass impatiently to remind him to keep going. "You can do Armin while he's doing me, and then we can switch when we're ready for more. Please, Mikasa. I want you in on this too."

She raised an intrigued brow, and she glanced at Armin. They'd "pegged" together once before, and really it wasn't much different from when Armin bottomed for Eren. She didn't quite have the dancer's girth except for when she knotted, but nobody had complained about that so far. They'd never done it the way Eren had just suggested, though. Usually they took turns on each other, with one party fondling or orally pleasuring the other two while they had sex.

"Armin, is this idea fine with you?"

"Yes. The lube should be in the nightstand drawer," panted Armin.

Mikasa certainly hoped so. She unbuttoned her semi-dressy, burgundy silk shirt and she unhooked her bra to free her breasts. Both of her lovers stared at her with appreciation as the firm, twin mounds were revealed. Her nipples tightened immediately under the exposure to the cool air, and she scooted further up the bed to open the drawer on the bedside table. For a moment she almost panicked, because she didn't see the tube she was looking for. Then Armin corrected her in an unsteady, husky voice.

"The other one," he obliged. He groaned and kissed Eren again. "I...don't think I'm going to last much longer, guys."

"Then I'd better hurry," said Mikasa with a tiny smirk. She was far too intrigued by Eren's suggestion to pass it up, though the omega would likely stay fired up for a long time and would be immediately ready for more after Armin was finished with him. She found the lubricant where Armin said it was, and she finished undressing hastily. She even pulled Eren's shoe the rest of the way off for him, along with his socks. This was going to be quite an interesting encounter, she was sure.

* * *

Eren deployed a quote from Levi, some three hours later. "I am fucked three ways from Sunday," he rasped, still catching his breath.

They'd done it more times this afternoon than they had all week, and even when Armin needed some recovery time before having another go, the blond was very attentive to both Eren and Mikasa. Never let it be said that a beta couldn't keep up with an alpha in sexual prowess. Armin didn't have the advantage of a rut to fall back on, but he still had an impressive refractory period without that benefit. Eren estimated the longest break Armin had to take was probably about a half hour, which as he understood it wasn't bad at all for a beta in their mid to late twenties. He made up for his erectile downtime with his hands and mouth, encouraging Mikasa to keep going and doubling Eren's pleasure.

"I'm wiped," confessed Armin just as breathlessly, lying on Eren's left side. His flushed cheek was resting against the omega's bare, sweaty chest, and his fingers were entwined with Mikasa's. The alpha female was lying to Eren's right on her back, with one arm draped over the dancer's torso. She was panting heavily too and staring up at the ceiling in a dazed manner.

"I am too," Mikasa admitted. She rolled onto her side, looking between Eren and Armin with faintly glowing, silver-lavender eyes. Ordinarily her irises were a rather nondescript color, easily presumed to be gray. When she got worked up to the point of the vampiric glow lighting them up, however, the purple-ish hue in her eyes became more pronounced.

"Eren, I think now that we've satisfied the initial urges, we should talk about what could result of this."

He swallowed, and he cracked his eyes open to look at her. He was able to think a bit more clearly now, though the throbbing urgency still lay just beneath the surface. He could tell he only had a short window before his heat intensified again and demanded more.

"Haven't we already talked about it? We're just going to let the chips fall where they may, right?"

"Yes, but we haven't really come up with a game plan beyond that," Armin interjected. "For example; what are you going to do about your job if you get pregnant? All we've really established concerning that is that Mikasa and I can support you during maternity leave, but you haven't said what you would want to do long-term. Will you keep stripping, will you look for other work, or will you be a stay-at-home parent for a while?"

Eren frowned. He hadn't really thought of that, truthfully. He didn't really think the reversal procedure would work on him any better than it had on Petra. Now he knew his body was at least capable of going into heat, but that didn't guarantee he could conceive. They wouldn't be able to confirm that for a few weeks. It started to hit him then. He'd blown it off without putting serious thought into it because Hange had cautioned him against getting his hopes up. He'd taken her advice a little too strongly, and he'd been convinced it would never happen.

"I...guess I could follow Levi's lead and stick mostly to scheduling and paperwork for a while," he answered slowly. "Kenny won't like losing his only remaining male dancer for a while, but what choice is there? That's assuming I can even get pregnant. We could be worrying over nothing."

"Still, it's better to have a plan," insisted Mikasa. "Eren, you know we won't tell you what to do with your career, but if a child does come of this, do you really want to keep dancing?"

He bit his lip, troubled. "I don't know," he admitted. "I don't really have another skill set to fall back on. This is the only work I've ever known."

"You have other skills," Armin insisted. He kissed the omega's chest, and he rested his chin on the surface of it as he gazed at Eren. "You know arithmetic, you have some skills with computers now, and you can read and write. There are plenty of jobs out there you could apply for. They might not pay as well as the club, but you have two partners to share financial burdens with. There's no need to panic or rush anything. We'll support you no matter what."

"That's right," agreed Mikasa. Her hand slid down beneath the covers, and it curled around Eren's half-hard length as if of its own accord. He firmed up quickly in her grip, and she nibbled his ear. "Even if you want to stay home for a while. You wouldn't have to get another job right away if you quit the Omega Experience. Maybe you could try working from home the way Levi does."

Eren grimaced. "I'm way too hyper for that. I'd go stir crazy. It's amazing he's managed to do it for this long without losing his shit."

"Well, sometimes people's priorities shift," reasoned Armin with a smile. "We just want you to think about your options rather than be caught unprepared. Personally, I think it would be better for the child if one of us was a stay-at-home parent, but that doesn't mean it has to be you."

Eren turned his head to look at the blond. "What are you saying? Are you offering to quit _your_ job to stay at home with the kid, if we get one out of this?"

Armin shrugged. "I would consider it, yes. Mikasa isn't really in the position to offer, but the educational field doesn't really pay an exuberant salary, you know. I think you two make more than I do, so it might be more logical for me to be the one to put my career on hold, if it comes to it."

"But you love teaching," reminded Eren, dismayed by the thought of his lover giving up something he adored so much.

"I can still teach." Armin levered himself up on one elbow, and he leaned over Eren to kiss him on the forehead. "If you do conceive and the baby is Mikasa's, we're going to have to look at home schooling options for a while anyhow. I could do that easily, and it would be safer than trying to send the child to a public school before their fangs come in. That's how Levi and Erwin are doing it with their son, and I think it's a good idea."

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves," suggested Eren. He started rubbing against Mikasa's hand, feeling his urgency rising once more. His thoughts were getting scattered again, and it made his head ache to try and think of all this right now. "I...I can't concentrate right now."

Armin shared a glance with Mikasa, and the blond kissed Eren lingeringly on the mouth. "All right. I'm sorry to put pressure on you. You're right; this isn't really the time to focus on long-term planning. We can talk more about it after your condition fades."

"Thank you," Eren breathed.

He cupped Armin's head to pull him down for another kiss, and then he did the same with Mikasa. He trusted them both to do their part if a pregnancy did occur from this, and that was what made his decision not to go on birth control so easy for him. It was both frightening and exciting to think of being a parent. He didn't know what sort of father he'd make, but he knew Armin would be an amazing dad, and Mikasa would be a protective mother with a firm hand. They would make up for Eren's shortcomings in the childrearing department if they conceived. Truthfully, the biggest challenge Eren was likely to face would be carrying and delivering the baby.

He vaguely thought he should have a talk with Levi about that, because Levi was the only male omega he knew that had experience in pregnancy, birth and childrearing. He didn't dwell on the thought for very long once Mikasa started stroking him off insistently. Right now, he had more immediate needs to take care of.

* * *

-To be continued


	34. Chapter 34: Hange/Petra interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more side-pairing interlude! I wanted to keep this down to 35 chapters, but chapter 35 may not be quite enough to wrap things up. Don't be surprised if there's a Prologue chapter to follow. Thank you all so much for the support! (I need a gf like Petra...ahem.)

Hange was pleased, excited and a little envious when she got the news that Eren had experienced his first heat. Petra had mini-heats now and then, but it never progressed beyond that. They were both still hopeful, but now they were focusing harder on adoption rather than wait out their youth trying to achieve something naturally that looked increasingly less likely to happen for them.

Hange forced a smile at Eren, who was sitting on the examination table with an uncertain look on his face. "So you estimate it's been a month since your heat, Eren?"

He nodded. "Yeah, give or take a few days. I didn't think to write the date down, but I know how many weekends have passed."

"And you never got a birth control prescription," she mused, eyeing him for any signs of physical change. "Have you started experiencing any nausea or dizziness?"

"Sometimes, but I think that's just nerves." He shrugged. "I can get myself pretty worked up when I over-think something, and every time I go into work and look at Kenny, I keep picturing his reaction if I come in one day and tell him I've got to stop dancing for a while."

"Well, some people might find a pregnant omega on the stage erotic," she said dryly, "but it wouldn't be good for you or the baby. Those dance moves of yours are way too physically taxing for an expecting person to safely pull off."

"Believe me, I've got no intention of waddling my swollen ass onto that stage once I start showing," he assured her with a frankly nervous little grin. "That is, if I'm pregnant. Do you think it's too soon to tell yet?"

"Not with blood tests," she assured him. "Have you tried any pee tests at home, dear?"

He lowered his bright gaze, and he shook his head. "I was scared to."

Hange tilted her head, and she stepped closer to the examination table. She cupped Eren's chin and urged him to meet her eyes. "Eren, if you really aren't ready for parenthood, maybe you should re-think getting on birth control. You're young; you've got plenty of time to start a family before fertility starts to wane...that is, if you can conceive at all."

"That's just it, though. I don't know yet if I can have a baby," he explained, his brows furrowing. "And I could have just one chance to have a kid. How do I know I won't pass that chance up if I mess with my cycles? What if one of the heats I avoid having could be the only one that results in a baby, and I pass it up out of fear?"

Hange considered his question. "Do you know what would be stupider than passing up a chance at getting pregnant?"

"What?"

"Getting knocked up before you're ready, just because you feel like you've got to have a child." She smiled at him, uncommonly gentle. She ruffled his hair, and she sighed. "Listen, kiddo, some people never have kids of their own, and maybe this too is just nature being selective. Taking contraceptives won't do any further damage to your fertility than what's already been done to you. I could prescribe some without suppressants so that your heat cycles aren't interfered with, if that would make you feel more comfortable. It's your choice, of course, but I can't help but get the feeling you're putting more pressure on yourself than you need to."

"You're one to talk," he muttered. Eren immediately winced when Hange glanced at him sharply. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It was a dick-ish of me to mention it after all the trouble you and Petra have gone through."

"No, you're right," sighed Hange. "I'm preaching to the choir. I've got no room lecture anyone, as focused as I am on trying to give Petra a rug rat. Thanks for keeping me real."

He obviously still felt bad, judging by the puppy eyes he was giving her. "I'm sorry, Miss Hange. I should have kept my big fucking mouth shut."

She patted his cheek gently, and then she planted a quick kiss on it. "No, you're fine. I just want you to be informed of all your options, and I don't want to see you rush into something you may not be ready for."

"I'm not sure how I feel about it," he admitted softly. "It's a kind of scary step to take, but I'm trying to look at the facts. We're financially secure even if I have to quit working. We've got room for a kid in our place, and even if I'm not the best candidate for parenthood, I've got two partners that I think would be great at it. We hardly ever argue, there's no jealously between us, and we've got enough love to share with a kid. There couldn't be a more ideal time for us to try, don't you think?"

"True, you seem to have a very stable relationship with Armin and Mikasa," admitted Hange. "You three would make a great parenting team. That's not what concerns me, though. What bothers me is the fear you've been expressing since setting foot in here. How do you really feel about the possibility of being pregnant, Eren?"

"I'm not sure," he confessed helplessly. "I was going to get a home test, but then I thought: 'what if it's wrong? What if it gives me a false positive or negative? What if I go on thinking I'm not pregnant but I really am and I do something I'm not supposed to do and end up miscarrying or hurting the baby?"

"Ah, so that's it." Hange chuckled. "You just want results you can trust? Why didn't you just say so?"

"Because it's not that simple," he sighed. "I _am_ scared of finding out that I'm expecting, but I think it's because if I am, I've got to act on the plan I've worked out and change my whole lifestyle. I'm really confused about how to feel right now. Plus, I can barely walk across a room without tripping, unless I'm doing a dance routine. There's so much that could go wrong."

Hange wasn't without sympathy for the young man. Eren's clumsiness was endearing and amusing most of the time, but it made sense for him to worry about having an accident while carrying a baby. "Well, let's find out. Maybe once you get the test results, you'll have a better idea of how you feel about it."

* * *

Hange took blood and urine samples from Eren, and they chatted and waited together for the test results. She tried to send him home because there was no point in him staying at the clinic, but he was too anxious to drive. Hange ordered some takeout from her favorite cafe, and she treated Eren to a sandwich for lunch. He could only manage to eat half of it due to the butterflies in his stomach, and the rest he wrapped up to take home for later.

Hange's watch alarm went off, signifying that the test results should be in. She left her patient to go into the lab and see the results, and when she got them, she sighed. Shaking her head, she returned to the examination room, and she gazed somberly at the waiting omega.

"Well Eren, you don't have to worry about rushing into any plans," announced Hange. "You aren't pregnant."

"Oh." He frowned, and he glanced down at his abdomen. "You're sure?"

"Yes, but we can do another test in a few days if you like. There's a teensy chance that it might be too soon to get definitive results, though I doubt it."

When he didn't answer, she studied him more closely. "How do you feel about it now, Eren?"

He looked up at her, and he rested his hands on his knees. "Disappointed?" he said it as if in the form of a question, like he couldn't understand his own reaction.

Hange smiled, though it lacked the usual humor. "Then maybe you're ready to be a parent after all. At least now you know."

"I guess so, but I'm not going to be," he muttered. "This is kind of a sucky way to find out I really want it."

Hange reached out to squeeze Eren's shoulder. "This was really only your first try, and you weren't really trying, were you? You said you were just playing it by ear."

"Yeah, but...well, not to give too much information, but the three of us really went to town on each other." Eren flushed and looked away. "If I didn't get pregnant from that, maybe I'll never get pregnant at all."

"There's always the next time," suggested Hange. "If you're having full heats, then chances are you have a better chance than Petra and me. Try not to let it bring you down just yet, Eren. If you want, I can offer you some reading material on the subject of encouraging heat cycles to happen more often. If the three of you have the time to spare each day trying some of these techniques out, you might not have to wait as long for your next heat. These methods have also been known to make omegas more receptive to fertilization during their heats. It doesn't do much good if the subject is barren, but in your case, it just might."

Eren nodded, still bearing the look of someone that was trying to cope with unfortunate news. "Okay. It couldn't hurt to try, right?"

* * *

Petra came home from work late that night...or rather, early the next morning. It was after two in the morning when she walked into the apartment and locked up behind herself. She'd had a good, profitable shift and she stopped on her way home to pick up a little something for her spouse. Hange was working so hard to speed up the adoption process and get them on a shorter waiting list. They had agreed that if another six months passed without any positive news, they would look into a closed adoption.

She'd considered retiring from her work as a dancer and trying to find a career that looked better on paper. Petra was convinced that the adoption agencies kept passing them over because of her, but Hange told her that it wouldn't really matter if she quit dancing, because it would still be on her employment history records unless they flat-out lied about it. When Hange suggested they could try doing that, Petra decided against it. Even if Hange or her associates could tamper with her official background to keep people doing checks from finding that part of her career history, there was a chance they'd find out it had been manipulated, and any chance they might have to adopt would surely go down the tubes.

Petra hung her handbag up on the hook by the door where they kept their keys, light jackets and an umbrella for use when it rained. She clicked on the hallway light as she made her way to the bedroom, too tired to bother showering before bed. Hange was probably still out, either on mafia business or researching in her lab. Sometimes they barely saw each other, due to their work schedules. Prepared for another lonely night hugging the dolphin plushie Hange had won for her at the fair, the ginger omega flipped on the light switch in the bedroom.

"Hange?" Petra blinked, seeing the bundle of rumpled covers on the bed stir.

A mussed head of brown, loose hair emerged from under the pillow, and Hange squinted at her painfully from the head of their queen-sized bed. She stifled a yawn, and she gave Petra a sloppy little smile of greeting.

"Hey there, sunshine," mumbled the alpha. She glanced at the alarm clock. "Wow, is that the time? I only meant to take a little nap."

Petra used the dimmer switch to darken the overhead light a bit, and then she started undressing to change into her nightgown. She selected the peach satin teddy with the white lace that Hange liked so much, and she slipped it on once she'd removed her clothes. She didn't bother putting on any underwear, and she turned the light off again before joining her wife in the bed.

"Do you have to go back into the clinic?" guessed Petra. She cuddled up to the taller woman, and she breathed in her spicy scent. "Could you stay for a little while? We've hardly seen each other this week."

Hange nuzzled Petra's hair, and she hugged her close. Her long limbs entangled with the dancer's. "I've got Moblit working on wrapping up the project we were finishing up. I think I can safely leave it in his hands until daylight."

Petra didn't ask her what this project was. Hange was a serious multi-tasker and she often had several things going on at once. It was too much for Petra to keep up with, and she marveled over how the woman managed to keep it all together. Happy just to get a little time with her, she kissed Hange's neck and caressed her back.

"I'm sorry to be a pain. I know you've got a lot of work to do."

"True, but everyone needs a little play time." Hange grinned, and she pinched the omega's bottom teasingly, making her yelp.

"You also need rest," suggested Petra. "How much sleep have you had today?"

"Oh, about five hours all together, split up in increments. I can get another couple of hours before I need to go back in and relieve Moblit so he can get some shuteye too."

"Hmm, five hours, huh?" That wasn't too bad for Hange. Sometimes she went through a twenty-four hour period with only a couple of hours' sleep. Still, Petra would prefer that she get some unbroken rest, if she could. "You could get more than a couple of hours, if you go back to sleep now."

Hange tugged on the omega's earlobe with her teeth, and she slid her hands up under Petra's nightgown. The smaller woman shivered as those calloused hands stroked their way up her stomach, lingering briefly on her ribcage before cupping both breasts.

"I'm not sleepy anymore," declared the alpha huskily. She circled Petra's nipples with the pads of her thumbs, drawing a soft gasp from her. Hange kissed her briefly on the lips, and then she pulled back a little to watch her face as she fondled her. "You have the nicest, perkiest tits I think I've ever seen. The cutest little tushy, too."

"You're always saying that," accused Petra breathlessly, smiling at her. Tingles swept through her body in response to her mate's persistent attentions, and she tried to remind herself that Hange needed rest as much as the next person to function properly. She could see the faint shadows under Hange's eyes, suggesting she was more fatigued than she let on. The tan complexion of the alpha's skin tone concealed those shadows better than fair skin like Levi's could.

"Can't we fool around later, after you've come home from finishing this project? I worry about you when you go so long without good sleep."

Hange pressed her hips flush against Petra's, revealing that she was in a state of arousal unique to alpha females. "Sweetheart, I have better ways of getting my second wind. Besides, I stand a better chance of having a nice nap if you wear me out, you know."

Petra smirked. "Is that so?" She slid her hands down Hange's back, staring right back at the alpha's handsome features as she squeezed her ass. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you."

"I could give you a list," suggested Hange.

Her mouth closed in on Petra's for a kiss, and this time it was neither brief nor gentle. Her tongue stroked between them before entering her mouth to caress Petra's, and she tweaked her nipples again. Petra's resulting moan was swallowed up by the kiss, and she parted her thighs when Hange pressed a knee between them. Wearing only a t-shirt and a pair of cotton panties, there wasn't much in the way of a barrier to deter Petra's touch on the other woman. Emboldened by her spouse's expressed desire for her, Petra let her hands wander around to the front. She burrowed under the elastic of Hange's rather plain underwear, and she found the swell of her length.

"You're the first alpha woman I've ever known to consistently get boners," breathed Petra when Hange broke the kiss to groan softly. "Even when you aren't in rut, you extend nearly every time."

"All the better to bone you with, my dear," breathed Hange. She chuckled, and she rocked into the omega's touch. "Believe it or not, though, you're the only omega I've been with that gets me this way so easily."

"You never told me that." Petra rubbed the sensitive hood of the alpha's clit, provoking another soft groan from her. "Are you just making that up to make me feel good?"

"I would never lie to you," assured Hange. She rolled onto her back, and she pulled Petra on top of her, Gazing up at her with wine-colored bedroom eyes, Hange stroked the omega's inner thighs. Her hands steadily persisted inwards toward the apex, and she smiled at Petra as she reciprocated the stimulation she was receiving. "Care for a ride, cowgirl?"

"In a moment," decided Petra.

She lifted Hange's t-shirt up, and she hunched over to kiss her small, firm breasts. Hange hissed softly as Petra covered one light brown, nickel-sized areola in her mouth and flicked her tongue against the nub in the center. Hange might be the alpha, but Petra typically had all the control in their sexual activities. She demonstrated this without hesitation, her fingers busily stroking the other woman's length. Her other hand dipped lower, beneath the protruding shaft of Hange's clit to finger the crease of her loins.

"Damn, child," gasped Hange, back arching in reaction to the attentions. "H-how do you _do_ that?"

Petra could have said that she simply paid careful attention in the course of their relationship and had made it her mission to discover every technique she could that would reduce the alpha to a quivering mass. Hange already knew that, though. The question was just rhetorical. She teased her wife's nipples for a little while with her lips and tongue, and then she kissed her way down.

"Careful," cautioned Hange in a quivering voice when Petra licked the head of her clit. She grunted as Petra eased a finger inside of her, seeking out that subtle little smooth spot that would make sparks happen. "Petra...oh, you naughty little...hah!"

She'd found it, and she eagerly capitalized on it. It was a bit of a reach due to Petra's short fingers and the depth she had to go, but soon she was rubbing that spot steadily and giving her mate cunnilingus that Hange wasn't likely to soon forget. She saw the alpha's hand grabbing a fistful of bedding from the corner of her eye. The nails were chipped with worn, toffee-colored polish that Hange still hadn't removed from their last night out together. Petra made a mental note to give her a manicure soon.

Flicking her tongue rapidly against the head of the alpha's clit, Petra dared to use her teeth just a little, enough to make Hange's body jolt and buck.

"Ah, mother of...s-son of a...Petra!"

Knowing her partner's limits, Petra eased up. She gave the swollen flesh one last, gentle suck, and then she sat up and straddled her. She grabbed Hange's right hand in hers, and she guided it between her thighs. Panting and shuddering, the alpha stroked her mate as she'd been quietly urged, spreading the slick Petra had started producing to lubricate her. She stared up at the dancer as Petra straddled her and angled her hips, and Hange bit her lip when the smaller woman rubbed her moist entrance against the protrusion she was now gripping again.

"You should let me return the favor first," Hange offered in a winded voice.

"I want you now," insisted Petra. She was quite ready for her, but she did take it slow and ease into it. Sinking down onto Hange's arousal, Petra released the shaft and took it inside of her little by little, until she was fully seated. She gave Hange a soft smile, and she raised her arms for her as the alpha started lifting her nightgown up over her head. It flew across the room and hit the wall with a smack before landing on the floor.

"What are you—" Petra started to ask when Hange suddenly levered herself up into a sitting position. She was embraced a moment later, and Hange's mouth crushed against hers in a kiss. Hange purred in her throat as she started rolling her hips smoothly, riding Petra from below as the omega rode her from above. Petra's breath caught, and she pushed her fingers through Hange's tangled brown hair, curling her tongue against hers.

Any further words the couple might have had for each other got drowned out by incoherent moans and cries of delight. Hange's phone beeped at one point, but they ignored it deliberately and focused only on each other.

* * *

Refreshed after a good lay and a pleasant nap afterwards, Hange got up with the sunrise, and she carefully avoided waking her companion as she selected a change of clothes to put on. She whistled softly to herself while she was in the shower, until her thoughts turned to Eren and the disappointment she'd seen him express yesterday when his pregnancy test came up negative.

_~Poor boy...I know just how you must feel. I didn't even realize you were ready to start trying yet.~_

Somehow she'd gotten the impression that Eren wouldn't go through with starting a family. It made sense that he would at least want the option available, but with his phobia of doctors, his career and his personality, he was one of the last people Hange would have expected to raise a family. It just went to show how people could change over the years. All one had to do was look at Erwin Smith as an example. The man never even wanted to pair-bond with anyone before he met Levi. Hange herself never entertained thoughts of settling down, but now she was doing everything in her power to make a family happen for herself and Petra.

"Do we ever really know ourselves or others?" she wondered aloud.

The shampoo she'd just lathered up her hair with started running into her eyes while she pondered life's curveballs. She blurted a wild curse and stuck her face under the spray nozzle quickly to rinse it away. That was what she got for being so distracted. She thought about telling Petra about Eren's visit to the clinic, but it was only a fleeting notion. Right now, Petra didn't need to hear about other people's reproductive woes. It was a subject Hange preferred to avoid whenever possible, because it only served to remind her spouse of their situation and make her sad.

Maybe Eren and his partners would have better luck. Maybe not. There was nothing Hange could do to improve anyone's chances more than she already had. She needed to accept that and stop blaming herself for things beyond her control. She knew this, and yet she couldn't help the way she felt.

The shower went quicker after that, her good mood dampened along with her body. Hange stepped out, dried off and changed into her fresh clothes, and she checked her phone as she stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her head.

"Oh shit...they called."

One of the adoption agencies they'd applied at. Someone from the agency called her, and Hange wondered briefly why they would be contacting her at such an early hour, until she remembered that this agency was several states away and in a different time zone. She took a deep breath, and she went back into the bathroom with the phone to call them back.

"Hello, this is Hange Zoë," she said when someone finally picked up on the other line. She sat down on the closed lid of the toilet, and her knee bounced anxiously. "I missed a call from someone in your office earlier this morning. Do you have any good news for me and my wife, I hope?"

* * *

"Mmm, Hange?" Petra reached out for the warm spot next to her where her mate's body heat lingered. When she found that side of the bed empty, she sighed and sat up. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and she went for her robe hanging on the closet door. Slipping it on, she made the bed and she tossed the discarded clothing from earlier into the hamper. Hange must have gotten up and left without waking her again.

Used to it by now, Petra picked out a skirt and blouse combination to wear for the day, selected some underwear and pumps, and she carried them to the bathroom with her to get cleaned up and changed. She paused when she noticed the light coming out from under the door and heard the fan on. Hange must not have left yet, or she forgot to turn out the light in the bathroom before going. Petra turned the knob and cracked the door open.

"Hange? Are you in here?"

She heard a sniffle, but no verbal answer. Petra pushed the door open and stuck her head in. She found her spouse sitting sprawled on the toilet, holding her cell phone limply in one hand. One of the towels was lying rumpled and damp on the floor, and Hange's wet hair hung in her face. She looked up at her, and Petra could see the glisten of tears on Hange's face.

"Hange, what happened?" Petra went to her immediately, dumping her clothes on the sink and bending over to cup her face. Her immediate thought was that someone in the syndicate got killed. "What's wrong?"

Hange sniffed again, and she looked down at her phone. "One of the adoption agencies called. The one from up north? Anyway, it fell through."

Confused, Petra's brows pinched. "I didn't know we were being considered by anyone there. What are you talking about?"

Hange bit her lip and looked away. "There was a girl. First trimester, really young. She...she saw our file, and she comes from an alpha/omega family, so she told the agency she would meet with us sometime and if she liked us, she was going to relinquish her baby to us."

Petra's eyes widened. " _What_? You never told me!"

"I was waiting for things to be arranged," explained Hange. "I didn't want to tell you until I was sure we had a chance. It was supposed to be a surprise, and I was afraid of getting your hopes up too early because there was every chance the girl would change her mind, so soon in her pregnancy and at such a young age. Her family could have pressured her, she might decide she couldn't go through with giving up her child...that sort of thing. I was waiting until the meeting was locked in. Less chance of her backing out, that way."

Petra found that she couldn't be angry with Hange for this. The misery in her eyes was soul-wrenching, and she could guess what must have happened. "She changed her mind then, like you thought she might?"

Hange shook her head, and she drew a ragged breath. She sniffled again, and Petra tore off some toilet paper for her to blow her nose with. Hange did so, and she crumpled it up and put it in the wastepaper basket. "No. She was ready to meet us. She'd already started on the paperwork, but she miscarried."

Petra couldn't think of anything to say, at first. It was difficult to digest, and her own eyes stung with tears as the loss of such a promising opportunity sunk in for her. They'd been approved. Someone had _chosen_ them to raise their baby, but fate cruelly stepped in and removed that choice from all of them. Were the doomed to a childless future? Was this a sign from some higher power?

"Hange," choked Petra, and she sat down sidelong on the alpha's lap, putting her arms around her. "H-how did she miscarry? Did she take a fall?"

"They wouldn't give me the details," answered Hange huskily. "Unfortunately, I'll probably never know just what happened to our would-be benefactor up north. I can't access her medical records without breaking a few laws, and it's just not worth the trouble. I don't have the heart to search out the details. We lost our chance with her, and that's all."

The only thing that hurt worse than this disappointment was the unexpected emotion Hange was showing over it. She didn't realize how much her spouse wanted a child as well, until now. Petra kissed Hange's forehead, and she drew a shuddering breath. "We'll get a baby someday, Hange. We just have to keep trying, okay? I...understand why you kept this from me."

Hange pulled back a little to gaze at her searchingly. "You aren't mad at me?"

Petra shook her head. "I started to get mad at first, but it passed. I can't be angry with you when you're crying."

Hange wiped her eyes, and she suddenly perked up a bit. "I could just go out and steal a baby for you. What kind do you want? Boy? Girl? Blonde? Brunette? Pale? Dark-skinned?"

For a second, Petra thought she was serious. Then she sensed the pain Hange was trying to conceal, and she realized it was just an attempt at humor. Still, Hange was upset, and she was known for doing reckless things at times when her head wasn't on straight. "Don't be silly. We'll get a baby legally, even if it takes more time than we'd like. I don't want to get one through shady methods and get attached to it, just to have the authorities show up and take it from us."

She kissed Hange softly on the lips. "Thank you for trying so hard, though. Next time, tell me if you've got a lead, even if it could end up in disappointment. We're in this together, all right?"

Hange nodded, and she hugged Petra tightly. "All right. I won't try to keep anything from you again."

* * *

-To be continued


	35. Chapter 35

Lance grew quickly—too quickly, as far as Erwin was concerned. Time seemed to fly by so rapidly, and the next thing Erwin knew, they were celebrating their son's sixth birthday. He stared ponderingly at the cake he'd picked up from the bakery as he waited for his spouse to bring the candles. Most of the syndicate members and club staff were there at the party, along with some of Lance's class mates and their parents. Levi had expressed some reservations about mixing the company like that, but Erwin had made it clear to his associates and the club staff that nobody was to mention their careers to the other guests. So far, it was going well enough. Everyone seemed to be segregating into their own little groups, though some of the syndicate mingled with some of the club staff.

Sending their son to public school had been a tough choice for him and Levi to make. In the end, Levi agreed to it because he didn't want the boy to feel any more different from other kids than he had to. Home schooling would have been the safest option, and since Levi now made most of his money through writing his ridiculously popular satirical comics, he would have been available to do it. He'd opted out of it after discussing it with Erwin and agreeing to give Lance the opportunity to try and have a somewhat ordinary childhood.

"I just can't believe it," murmured Erwin, still pondering the number written on Lance's cake.

"Can't believe what?" Levi came up beside him, and he started spacing out multi-colored candles around the edge of the cake. "You didn't really expect everyone to start mingling right away, did you? Most family sorts don't talk about much besides their kids, and that shit gets boring even to me as a parent myself."

"No, that isn't what I meant," clarified Erwin with a little, sidelong smirk at his mate. "I was talking about the occasion. It feels like it was only yesterday when we brought Lance home, swaddled up in the baby blanket Hange gifted to us."

"Oh, that." Levi frowned a bit, and he stared down at the cake as well. "The kid definitely takes after you in height. He's been growing like a weed lately. We need to get him some new shoes and pants again."

Erwin put an arm around Levi, drew him close and nuzzled the crown of his head. "Yes, and before we know it, he'll be getting his driver's license and going on dates."

"Don't think so far ahead, old man," warned Levi, obviously displeased by the thought of their child dating. "He's not even a decade old yet. We've got at least eight years before he's old enough to start looking at girls or boys that way."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," chuckled Erwin. "Some kids start getting those feelings pretty early in life. I was looking at nudey magazines by the age of ten, whenever I could get my hands on them."

"Pervert," grumbled Levi, but he smirked up at him. "Did these magazines feature girls or guys?"

"I looked at both," admitted the alpha. "At first I was more interested in females simply because their bodies were so different from my own, but my interest in males grew stronger as I matured."

"I could see that," reasoned Levi. "Ever wish you'd pair-bonded with a girl omega instead of me?"

Erwin cupped Levi's chin in one hand, stared into his eyes and shook his head slowly. "I can't picture myself with anyone besides you, Levi. You've spoiled me for all others."

"Good answer." Levi nipped at the taller man's neck lightly and playfully, and then he got the lighter out of the drawer and began firing up the candle wicks. One of the little girls invited to the party emitted a high-pitched squeal that made Levi jump and caused Erwin to wince. "Shit, if we ever have a girl, I hope she doesn't shriek like that."

Erwin tilted his head thoughtfully. He hadn't brought it up since the last time they'd discussed trying for another baby, because Levi had seemed very conflicted over the subject. "And when do you think we might have the opportunity to bring a little girl into the mix?"

Levi went still, holding the flickering lighter over the final candle. He seemed to shake himself out of it, and he put the lighter away. His hooded gaze was typically guarded as it met Erwin's. "Let's focus on celebrating this one's birthday and making it through the party before we get into that discussion, all right? We've got a long day ahead of us."

Erwin let the matter drop, but he felt a tingle of hopeful excitement. There was more to Levi's hesitation than going through another difficult pregnancy. Part of the issue was the special needs that any children they produced would have for life. So far, Lance hadn't developed his fangs yet. He still needed blood nutrients, but he demonstrated no obvious sensitivity to light. Levi said he could just be a late bloomer and cautioned Erwin against getting his hopes up that their son might not inherit the Ackerman vampirism after all, and could one day stop requiring blood altogether. It was a fleeting hope, though. As far as anyone knew, no child born of a parent from the Ackerman clan ever matured into an ordinary human.

"All right, the cake's ready," Levi announced, interrupting Erwin's thoughts. "Let's get this over with. You start off with the birthday song."

Erwin nodded in agreement. Levi's singing voice wasn't as bad as the omega insisted, but he was so self-conscious about it that every year, he waited to join in until others had started and he sang under his breath—practically lip-synching the words.

* * *

As the birthday party progressed and the time for opening gifts came, Levi caught himself thinking a little too deeply on Erwin's mention of their son eventually dating. He had a strong feeling that Lance was going to end up being an alpha type. He had a bearing about him that suggested as much, though given Levi's atypical personality, the kid could just take after him in mannerisms and prove him wrong. He was an attractive little boy, and he was quite protective of girls and those smaller than himself; that was why Levi suspected he'd be an alpha. They wouldn't be able to confirm that until after puberty, though. Levi wondered if it was just wishful thinking on his part that his son wouldn't turn out to be an omega like him. Lance had a difficult enough life ahead of him, without the additional biological and social complexities of omegahood.

Of course, this line of thinking got Levi to start wondering what in the hell he was going to do if Lance _did_ turn out to be an omega type. He'd been mildly relieved to discover they were having a boy instead of a girl, because the thought of trying to explain periods and help pick out feminine products and bras seemed like a bit of a nightmare to him. Now that he was considering the possibility that Lance was an omega, he had a different but equally troubling possibility to consider.

_~I'm gonna have to explain heats. I'll have to get him in for a screening so I can put him on suppressants. I'm going to have to fend off horny alphas just as much as I'd have to if Lance were a girl. Shit, and Erwin wants to try for a daughter? I don't even know how I'm gonna handle it when Lance hits puberty, and I know I'll be the one stuck doing it unless he's an alpha or a beta.~_

All of these thoughts swirled in Levi's head as he watched Lance's beautiful, baby-blue eyes light up with joy over the building block set Armin had gotten for him. He watched his son hug the blond teacher, and a moment of sheer panic made Levi actually consider pulling Armin aside to ask him for details of beta puberty. After all, betas were more like omegas biologically than alphas. Save for the heats, the males had closer similarities to their omega counterparts. Perhaps Armin could give him some pointers and—

"Oh shit, I'm sorry!"

Levi saw Eren trip, and the wrapped box he was carrying to the table went flying out of his hand. It fell to the floor with a rattle, and it struck Mike's shin. Levi grumbled and went to his clumsy friend's aid, retrieving the package off the floor while Eren blushed cherry-bright and slapped a hand over his own mouth.

"Nothing breakable, I hope?" Levi inquired, forgiving the younger man for his language even as the other parents participating shot Eren disapproving looks.

"No, it's all plastic," sighed Eren, wincing like a dog expecting a kick. "Sorry for the language in front of the kids, Levi."

"Trust me, they've all heard it before at some point or another," answered Levi dryly with a knowing glance at the other parents. "Probably from their own folks. I know Lance has heard me spout that word off at least a hundred times since he was born."

Eren still looked like he wanted to bury himself ten feet deep and never come out again. It wasn't really his fault he was a klutz outside of dancing though, and everyone whose opinion mattered in Levi's eyes already knew that.

"No harm done," Erwin assured the dancer politely. "It was just reflexive, Eren. Lance, let's see what your uncle Eren got for you. You still have several more presents to get through."

Quietly thankful to his spouse for the distraction, Levi set the gift down before his son. He ruffled Lance's golden hair and then straightened the paper party crown the boy wore on his head. "Go ahead, kiddo. Open it up."

"Yay! I'll bet it's something cool!" Lance started ripping into the wrapping paper with gusto, and pieces of it soon joined other vanquished giftwrap on the floor at his chair.

* * *

Life moved on, and while Levi was busy raising his son, Eren and the other dancers kept going as usual. Poor Petra still wasn't having any luck conceiving, though she confessed to her friends that she and Hange were trying several times a day now, as well as staying on the wait list for potential adoption. Hange even started taking medication to enhance her rut cycles, hoping to make up for the lack of heats by putting herself into rut overdrive—which according to Petra was cutting into the alpha woman's responsibilities to her syndicate.

"I'm worried," Petra confessed to Eren one night while they were backstage together, getting ready for their next performances.

Eren paused in putting on the belt that went with his "biker guy" dance outfit. "You just have to keep trying. Don't give up, Petra. There's still a chance you could get pregnant."

"No, that isn't what I mean," she sighed. She selected a lipstick from her makeup bag, and she started applying the peach tone to her lips. "I'm worried about that too, sure, but I've come to terms with the fact that we'll probably never conceive naturally. What's bothering me the most right now is how much Hange is wearing herself out trying to make this happen. Mr. Smith is being really understanding about it and he hasn't given her a hard time, but she's been missing a lot of work. She's also really distracted. I'm scared she'll get hurt or worse one of these times while she's on the job. You know how dangerous it can be."

Having similar fears for Mikasa, Eren had no trouble empathizing with her sentiments. There hadn't really been any conflicts with rival mafia since they took out Pinchet, but a deal could still go sour at any given time. As long as they had dealings with organized crime, each and every member of Erwin's syndicate ran the risk of getting shot, stabbed, run over or a plethora of other unsavory things that Eren tried very hard not to think about.

"Hange's kind of like a cat," he soothed. "She always seems to land on her feet. She's tough and she's smart."

"But she's also mortal," Petra pointed out, "and her thoughts aren't really on her work when she does her business. If something happens to her because she's trying so hard to make me happy, I'll never forgive myself."

Eren walked over to the ginger, and he squeezed her shoulders comfortingly. "Have you talked much to her about this? If it's getting that bad, maybe you should say something. Tell her to ease up for a while. You know, I hear some people try and try to have a baby, and then they give up and the next thing you know, they end up pregnant. Maybe you two are just trying too hard."

"You make a good point." Petra lowered her gaze and stared at the lipstick in her hand. "Maybe we should just take a page from your book and be more relaxed about it. Eren, have you had another heat yet?"

He shook his head. "No, and maybe I never will. I know it's harder for you, though. You've always wanted a family. I'm just leaving the possibility open, but I think I'll be okay if it never happens."

"I wish I could be as mellow about it as you are," she sighed. "If it's meant to be, it will happen. I've just got to keep that in mind and stop my wife from killing herself trying to force nature."

Eren smiled. "I think if anyone can talk some sense into her, it would be you."

He gave her a hug from behind, and she gave his arms a squeeze and smiled back at him through the mirror. "Thanks, Eren. Oh, it sounds like Hitch's song is ending. You'd better finish putting on your costume and get out there."

* * *

Apparently, Lance was a late bloomer insofar as developing his vampire fangs. Just when Levi was starting to wonder if his son might be the first Ackerman of his bloodline born without the curse of vampirism, he got confirmation to the contrary, some time after Lance turned seven.

Levi had been dreading this day, but he'd also been anticipating it. When his son came home from school early due to severe headaches and jaw pain, he knew what was coming. It happened later than he'd anticipated, but there was no doubt about it when he knelt down before the child and examined his mouth. Lance's canine teeth were extending.

"Lance, we talked about this," Levi stated as calmly as he could, brushing his thumbs over the pointy little fangs. "Did you show anyone?"

The little boy shook his head, blue eyes wide. "No sir. I did just like you said and told the school nurse it was a m-migration."

"Migraine," corrected Levi with a little smirk of relief. Lance had used common sense despite the pain and fright he must have felt when it happened, and it made Levi feel more secure about their decision to let him try public school and see how things went.

Levi's thoughts skipped away from educational decisions when his son moaned and clutched at his jaw. Lance shivered and sniffled. "It hurts, Papa..."

Levi scooped the child up into his arms when Lance teetered on his feet. He barely remembered what it had been like when his own fangs came in, but he did have a vague recollection of scalding jaw pain. Lifting his son up, he cradled him close and gazed down at him with quiet concern. As far as facial bone structure was concerned, Lance was the spitting image of Levi. He had his sire's hair and eye color, though, and Levi was still convinced that blonds and redheads had a low tolerance for pain.

"Oi, don't pass out on me," he murmured. "Stay with me, Lance. Focus on my voice. This pain won't last long."

Lance shuddered and hugged Levi around the neck, muffling a sob against the omega's shirt. Levi almost chastised him when the boy started chewing on the cotton material of his shirt, but he didn't have it in him to be harsh about it. The kid was just trying to get some relief, and Levi faintly recalled that biting things helped when this happened to him. He carried Lance to the stairs and took them two at a time, hurrying to the child's bedroom with him. This was going to be an awkward time in his life for Lance to adjust to, like puberty. Unfortunately, the boy wasn't going to have other kids his age to talk to about it. He'd have to hide the fang development like some dirty little secret.

_~And Erwin's trying to talk me into having another kid. He's out of his fucking mind.~_

Of course, raising Lance had been easier than expected, up until now. He made good grades in school, and he wasn't too bad about acting up. Levi attributed that to the boy inheriting Erwin's patience rather than his own dour mannerisms. The worst of it, aside from the common pitfalls of raising a brat, was pushing the boy to drink his blood cocktail at dinner each night. Lance took it like medicine, always scrunching up his little face in a way that made Erwin chuckle. Levi hadn't realized how much he himself made that exact same face when consuming the necessary dietary addition until his mate informed him of it one night.

_"You both look like you're drinking poison when you drink that. Is it really so awful?"_

Levi had shoved his half-finished glass toward the alpha and dared him to take a sip for himself. Erwin, being the stubborn creature that he was, took up the challenge. The look that crossed his face upon tasting it was priceless, and both Levi and Lance had teased him about it afterwards. Erwin never critiqued their reactions to the blood cocktails again. Instead, he worked hard to doctor them up so that they were more palatable. Levi had to admit that the right amount of lime juice, celery salt and tomato juice did make a difference. The drawback was explaining to the school board that their son had a vitamin deficiency and required daily protein shakes of "vegetable juice" and medication, but so far, they'd pulled it off just fine.

"All right, kid," Levi soothed as he made it to Lance's bedroom and eased him down on the bed. "I'll get you some aspirin and a rice pack. I know it sucks right now, but it's going to ease up in a day or two, okay? Your body just has to adjust to the transition."

Lance rolled from side to side on the bed, clutching his face and whimpering. "P-promise?"

Levi swallowed hard. Nothing could have prepared him for this feeling of helplessness. The last time he'd felt it was when Lance was going through ordinary teething and screaming his little head off. That had been a freaking nightmare, and Erwin stayed up with the child, diligently pacing the floors with him and holding a teething ring to his mouth.

"Yeah, I promise. You did really good with how you handled this."

Lance managed a lopsided grin up at his hovering father. "I tried to remember what you told me, Papa. I didn't want to get in trouble."

Levi nodded, and he checked a sigh. If there were any way he could spare his son the awkwardness and inconvenience of growing up with this condition, he would have. He patted Lance on the shoulder, and he left the room to retrieve the promised items to assist in easing the child's discomfort.

He called Erwin while he was doing that, and he informed him of what was happening. The blond promised to blow off the rest of his schedule and come home immediately, though Levi assured him there was nothing he could do for Lance that he wasn't already doing himself. Erwin was a doting father, though. He'd never failed to be there for their son since the day he was born, and anytime Lance wasn't feeling well, everything else took a back seat on Erwin's priority list.

* * *

Eren came to visit the day after Lance's fangs came in. The child was home from school under the pretense of having an abscessed tooth, until the pain from his dental transition faded and he could control the extension and retractions of his fangs well enough to satisfy Levi. The younger omega asked Levi about the boy as they sat down in the parlor together.

"So no chance of the vampire thing skipping him then, huh?" asked Eren with a frown.

Levi shrugged, and he clicked on the television with the remote and handed the item over to his guest for Eren to pick whatever channel he wanted to watch. "I didn't expect it to. Nobody from our family line has ever been born without it, no matter whether the other parent is human or vampire. Sucks for the kid, but at least we saw it coming."

"That's rough. How's he taking it?"

"Better than I'd hoped." Levi got up, and he started for the bar in the corner of the room. "You want a beer?"

"Uh, no. I'd better not." Eren bit his lip, and he put a hand to his stomach.

Levi cocked his head a little. "You feeling sick, or what?"

Eren smirked. "Only in the mornings."

It then dawned on Levi what the dancer was hinting at, and he narrowed his eyes a bit. "So you've got a bun in the oven. Are you sure?"

Eren nodded. "Yeah. I took three piss tests when I started suspecting it, and they all came up positive. Don't say anything to anyone though, okay? I don't want to put the news out while Petra's still waiting to hear back from the lady she and Hange are trying to adopt from."

While Levi could understand Eren's reluctance to seem like he was rubbing his success in the face of their friend after Petra and Hange tried so hard for all this time to conceive, he didn't think that was a good idea. "So what happens if she doesn't get approval for the adoption? You're gonna start showing eventually, and you're going to have to quit dancing until after the birth once you do. She'll figure it out, Eren. You can't just hide it from her until you drop the brat or she finally gets the baby she wants."

Eren sighed. "I know, and I plan on telling everyone as soon as I can. I just want to wait and see what happens with this adoption first. I don't even feel right about going to Hange to get final confirmation. I wish I wasn't so chicken-shit about going to other doctors."

"Why the hell shouldn't you go to someone you can trust for your medical needs?" Levi demanded with a frown. "After the shit you've been through, you've got more than enough reason to pick your own doctor."

"Yeah, but it's been almost eight years," Eren pointed out. "You'd think I'd be over it enough to at least get the blood test somewhere else, instead of going to someone I know damned well has been struggling to have a kid of her own."

Levi leaned back against the bar counter. "If I know shit-glasses, she probably didn't see it the way you're thinking. I'll bet she'd be thrilled for you."

Eren smiled a little. "You're probably right. I still feel like a tool, though."

"Well, don't." Levi shrugged, and he pulled out a couple of tea cups from the cabinet, opting out of drinking alcohol in front of someone that had to abstain from it. He started up the electric kettle plugged into the wall and he got a bag of peppermint herbal tea for Eren, while selecting Earl Gray for himself.

"Listen, Eren: Hange's only been trying this hard because it's what Petra wants. If it wasn't for her, I'll bet four-eyes would never even consider having kids. She'd be just as happy being the 'funny aunt', as she calls herself. Quit worrying so much, and don't put off telling Petra until you're ready to drop your loaf. Wait until she gets news about her adoption if you have to, but don't let it go for longer than that. She'll get over it, and she wouldn't expect everyone around her to put off raising their own families just because she hasn't had luck starting one of her own."

"I don't know about that," muttered Eren. "I've seen people talking about how much they envy people that can have kids all the time, and how it feels like a slap in the face when someone announces a pregnancy. I don't want to hurt Petra's feelings."

Levi sighed, and he glanced up from his task whilst pouring steaming water into the tea cups. "You know Petra, kid. She's not that kind of person. She's too generous to take it like some personal insult to her every time someone else gets knocked up."

Eren looked away and bit his lip. "Yeah, I guess so."

"And you waited long enough," pressed Levi. He raised a brow. "Or was this accidental?"

"No, we've been...well, not really _trying_ , but not trying to prevent it, either. The three of us just figured we'd let whatever happens happen, once I got the reversal procedure done. I didn't really expect it to be this easy. I was starting to think I'd end up in the same situation as Petra, but I guess I'm more fertile than I thought. My heats have been pretty regular since the surgery."

Levi smirked. "Hmph. At least you're prepared for it. So what did you think of it...your first heat? I'd have given you some advice if you'd bothered coming to me about it."

Eren groaned softly and rolled his eyes. "Sorry, but I was kind of embarrassed and I didn't want to bug you with it when you were already so busy. I thought I was coming down with something when it first started. I wished you were there at the club that day when I realized it wasn't just a sudden fever coming over me. It was kind of scary."

"Hmph. People can try to describe it 'till they're blue in the face, but it's really something you've got to experience for yourself to get it. You didn't pass out or anything, did you?"

"No, Armin was there at the club at the time, probably waiting for me to have my lunch break. We went straight home and called Mikasa. I got lucky. The next couple of times it happened, I was already at home."

"Yeah, lucky you." Levi's thoughts drifted to his own family and his continued procrastination to get fixed again. Finding out that Eren was expecting reminded him that Erwin was hoping to have him in the same condition again someday soon. Lance was old enough now to be fairly independent, which gave Levi more free time. If he got pregnant soon, he might have his second child around the same time Eren popped out his. Maybe Hange and Petra would even have the stroke of luck they needed and either they'd succeed in adopting or getting pregnant.

"Shit, it's like a disease," grumbled Levi. He got up to finish preparing the tea, annoyed with himself for having such fanciful notions.

"I wouldn't say it's a disease," Eren chuckled. "Heat's aren't _that_ bad as long as you've got someone to relieve it with."

"No, I meant...never mind." Levi slid Eren's beverage over to him, and he joined him on one of the stools.

"What?"

Levi met the other omega's gaze again. "It's like a sneeze or a yawn. One person does it and it makes everyone else want to. Breed, I mean."

"You've been thinking about having another kid for a while though, right?" Eren had another sip of his drink.

"Yeah, but I've been keeping it on the back burner. I guess I'd better quit putting it off if I'm gonna do it. We're not getting any younger and seven years is plenty of space between kids."

"It would be cool if you had another kid around the same time I have mine," said Eren, inadvertently echoing Levi's similar thoughts. "They could go to school together and have play dates and stuff."

"I guess." Levi said no more about it, quietly weighing the pros and cons of having another kid.

* * *

Erwin wasn't really counting on Levi agreeing to have another child soon, but when he found the omega's half-consumed pack of monthly contraception in the bathroom waste paper basket, he suspected he might get his wish. He didn't say anything to Levi about it. The two of them had a subtle means of communicating at times, leaving hints for each other to express what was on their mind without using words. The supply of heat prevention medication hadn't been tossed, but suppressants had a longer lifespan than contraceptives, and Erwin wouldn't have expected Levi to throw away something that wasn't due to expire for another year.

Of course, Erwin couldn't say for certain that Levi hadn't tossed those contraceptives because he was just switching to a different formula. He tried to keep his nose out of Levi's omega business and leave it up to him to manage his own cycles. Levi started having heats again, and Erwin's hopes and suspicions seemed more likely to be correct. In fact, Levi seemed to have stopped taking suppressants altogether. His heat cycles were too strong to think otherwise.

Still, Erwin didn't say anything about it, because Levi didn't verbally confirm his suspicions. Erwin instead focused on managing the law firm he'd set up and finalizing arrangements to retire as boss of his syndicate and pass the torch to Mike. Erwin would still have a hand in the dealings of their family, but all major decisions would no longer be his to make. Between business dealings, helping raise his son and satisfying Levi's heightened needs, Erwin was a busy man indeed.

He didn't get full confirmation of his suspicions regarding Levi's actions for weeks after finding the contraception in the trash. He'd come home from a long day at work, helped Lance with his homework and started deciding on what to do for dinner when Levi came home. The omega met up with Erwin in the kitchen, and he had a strangely hesitant look on his face. Guessing Levi had been at the club going over some things with Kenny and the dancers, Erwin didn't think much of it until he opened up a drawer to look through takeout menus.

"Better order mine rare, whatever you're thinking of getting tonight."

Erwin glanced up from the small stack of menus. Levi was staring at him almost expectantly. With a little smile, the blond approached his spouse, and he bent over to kiss him on the lips, figuring Levi was waiting for a greeting.

"We can order whatever you like. I'm just too tired to cook tonight, and I'm sure you've had a full day as well."

"Yeah, and I'm going to need extra blood." Levi was still giving him that expectant look, having raised a thin brow slightly as if waiting for Erwin to catch the punch line of a joke.

Erwin tilted his head slightly, and he subconsciously touched the side of his neck. Levi had just fed on him the other day. It seemed a bit soon for him to need more fresh blood. "You've got quite the appetite tonight. Did you have a rough day?"

Levi shrugged. "I went to see Hange. She says I need to alter my diet now."

Seeing the blank look on Erwin's face, Levi sighed. "Damn, you're being thick. I'm trying to tell you I'm pregnant, blondie."

Apparently there was such a thing as being _too_ subtle, at least when Erwin's mind was so tired. He didn't move right away, letting his spouse's words sink in. "You're sure?"

"Yeah. Why do you look so shocked? I tossed my birth control and I've been wrecking you in the bedroom and these heats have turned me into the horniest motherfucker alive. I'd have thought you figured it out by now."

"I suspected, but you haven't said anything, and I think I've been pressuring you enough."

Erwin set the menus aside, looking the smaller man up and down with a growing smile. Yes, now that Levi mentioned it, Erwin could detect the covert signs. A touch more pallor in the complexion, a brightness to the hooded eyes, softer skin, shinier hair. He must have only missed these hints because he'd been so swamped and had kept telling himself not to get his hopes up. He thought he even heard Levi get sick in one of the bathrooms a couple of mornings ago as he was on his way out the door, but Erwin had been running late, and he thought he'd just been imagining it.

He cupped Levi's face in his hands, still holding his gaze. Blood. Levi needed blood and lots of it, if he was to avoid a deficiency like he'd suffered while carrying Lance. Erwin bent over, cupped the back of Levi's head and pulled him towards his neck.

"Here. Drink."

"Mffph!" Levi resisted, his lips briefly mashing against the alpha's throat before he pulled back. "Oi, I'm not gonna wither away in seconds."

"But you need blood," reminded Erwin simply. They had a supply of course for both Levi and their son, but greater quantities of it would need to be procured, and fresh blood was always better for his mate.

"Relax," grunted Levi, struggling against Erwin's attempts to make him bite him. "I already drank a pint at the clinic. Hange practically shoved it down my throat after confirming my pregnancy. I just mentioned the blood because I was sure you'd figure out what I was getting at."

Erwin stopped trying to push him up against his neck, and he pulled back to regard the omega. "I'm not at 100 percent tonight, and when you say you need blood, I take it seriously." He smiled again, and he traced the pouty lips. "I'll arrange to have more delivered as soon as possible, Levi. Are you sure you don't need any from me tonight?"

"No, I can go without for another day or two. I'll just have a cocktail with a rare steak dinner and another one before bed." Levi's hooded eyes searched Erwin's. "So, are you happy?"

Erwin nodded, and he embraced the smaller man, half-lifting him off the floor for a kiss. "Ecstatic. Reeling, actually. In fact...I think I should probably sit down."

"Hey, don't pass out," objected Levi when Erwin lowered him back to the floor and staggered a little. "That wasn't my aim. Here, sit down at the counter island. How much fucking sleep did you even get last night, anyhow?"

"About three hours," confessed Erwin. He smirked at Levi. "Funny, I didn't know omegas could still have heats while pregnant."

"That wasn't a heat." Levi fetched a glass of ice water for him while Erwin had a seat, and he brought it to him. "That was just me being horny."

"Oh?" Erwin's brows went up a little. "But your scent suggested otherwise last night."

"Hange says that's a side effect of pregnancy in the first stage, for some omegas. Hormonal shifts and all. She thinks it's nature's way of tightening the bond between an omega and their alpha once they've got a kid on the way."

"I don't recall you being that amorous in the beginning of your first pregnancy."

Levi shrugged. "Maybe the mega-heat I went through thanks to Carver used most of it up. I just know I've been springing boners regularly and I've had some morning sickess. That's a weird combination, so I made the appointment to get checked out. Hange said there's nothing to worry about as long as I get enough nutrients in the first trimester, when I need it the most."

"We'll make sure you do," promised Erwin. Levi's biology continued to surprise and fascinate him. He retrieved the menus he'd set down, distracted by that lingering scent on his mate that was so similar to heat pheromones. Clearing his throat, he thought it best to distract himself from the scent. "What would you like for dinner? I could order from the steak house if you want a rare cut."

"Get whatever you want." Levi shrugged. "A couple of cocktails should be enough for me tonight. A rare steak won't make much of a difference."

Erwin settled his gaze on the vampire again. "Yes, but you only have a short window before you won't be able to stomach solid foods any longer. Let's take advantage of the time you have and pick something you enjoy."

"Shit, I forgot about that." Levi scowled at the thought of consuming nothing but blood and perhaps a little bread now and then. "All right, order from our Thai place and get me the spicy prawn soup. Guess I'd better eat up while I can."

* * *

-To be continued


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks for the kudos and reviews! It seems this story is going to be a few chapters longer than I anticipated before it's complete. It seems to be rolling along nicely again, though. Happy Memorial Day!

Levi managed this pregnancy much better than he had the first one. He didn't skimp on the blood consumption each day, he carefully monitored his weight and he stopped wearing silver as soon as he found out he was expecting. Eren was thrilled to hear that Levi would be advancing through his pregnancy at the same time as him. He confessed to the vampire one evening during a visit that he was a little more nervous about becoming a parent than he tried to let on to his partners. Levi gave him what encouragement he could, reminding him to stick with desk work until he had the baby and was recovered enough to be active again.

Fortunately, they found a couple more male omegas to dance at the club that would be suitable replacements for Levi and Eren. Kenny was pretty critical of them, but Levi reminded him that he could just turn the place into a titty bar if he didn't think his guys were pulling in enough. Kenny tossed the idea immediately. The thing that made the Omega Experience so unique was in fact the omegas, and two males were better than none.

"So you're really not coming back to it, huh?" Kenny asked Levi after discussing payroll with him.

"I'm really not," answered Levi. "It's not for me anymore, and we get by without the income I'd be getting if I were still dancing."

He then explained to his uncle that he was also expecting again, and Kenny face-palmed and asked him why he'd do that to himself. Since Levi had wondered the same thing on more than one occasion, he didn't take offense at Kenny's critique.

"You're the one that said I was bound to give Erwin another kid or two," reminded Levi. "I guess you were right, after all. I thought about it for a long time before deciding this, and so far it's going well."

"Let's hope it stays that way, brat," sighed Kenny. "Did you tell your kid yet?"

"Not yet. I'm waiting until I'm a little further along. I don't want to tell him he's going to have a sibling just to miscarry it."

Kenny looked at his sharply. "That ain't the only thing you've got to worry about. What if this one kills you? How's your boy going to deal with that?"

"I don't think that's going to happen."

"Ya don't know that," insisted Kenny. "The kid should be told something, midget. He needs to know how this is going to affect you...needs to know what to expect so he doesn't get scared."

Levi faltered, and he had to admit that Kenny had a point. "You pick the weirdest times to act like a fucking uncle, you know that?"

Kenny smirked. "Just trying to use logic, kid. Believe it or not, I like my great nephew and I don't want to see him traumatized." He looked away, leaning back in his chair. "Don't much care to see you dead, either."

"I'm not gonna die," sighed Levi. It always made him a little uncomfortable when Kenny expressed any fondness for him, but he was more used to it now than he had been when the man's attitude first started shifting a little. "Stop worrying, all right? I'm taking care of myself."

"You could still get sick, and you won't be able to go out in the sun."

"I know. I've already made arrangements for Lance to carpool to and from school with other kids when I can't go out in daylight. Petra's offered to drive him too, but her and Hange live way too far for that to be convenient. I've got this handled, Kenny."

Seeing the narrow-eyed look he was getting from his uncle, Levi sighed. "And I'll talk to Lance tomorrow. Happy?"

Kenny shrugged. "Just take care of yourself."

* * *

Lance reacted better to the news than Levi expected him to. He hadn't realized his son was hoping for a sibling until he told him he was going to be getting one. When the boy got so excited about it, Levi regarded him with quiet awe.

"I thought for sure you were going to pitch a fit. So you're really on board with this?"

The child squirmed into Levi's lap. "Uh-huh. If I have a little brother or sister, I won't be alone anymore."

"What do you mean, 'alone'? You have your dad and me."

"I know." The boy shrugged and picked at the wooden cross hanging from around Levi's neck. "But I'm the only kid at school with fangs."

Understanding what he meant now, Levi shook his head. "This kid isn't going to be going to the same school as you, Lance. By the time he or she's old enough to start going, you'll be out of middle school. Yeah, you'll have someone closer to your own age to talk to about these things, but babies take time to grow up. Hey, why didn't you tell me you wanted a brother or sister so bad, anyway?"

Lance shrugged again. "I know I made you sick when I was in your tummy. Daddy told me so when I asked if you were ever gonna have another kid."

Levi could have cheerfully throttled Erwin for that. "He did, did he? Well, that wasn't your fault."

"I know. He told me that, too. He said maybe some day you'd have another baby, but I shouldn't get my hopes up. He said not to bug you about it 'cause it's harder for you than other 'megas."

"I see." Levi hadn't even known Erwin ever had this talk with their son. Of course, he and Lance had talks sometimes that Erwin probably didn't know about either. "What else did your dad say when he told you this?"

"Um, he said that if you get preggy again, I should help you out as much as I can. He said you won't be able to go outside when it's sunny and you'll have to drink lots of blood, so I should make you drinks whenever you want them if he's not around to do it."

"And I suppose he showed you how to make them?"

"I can't do it as good as him, but yeah. Want one right now?"

Levi rubbed his forehead. Erwin had been giving his child mixology lessons behind his back? "Not right now, kiddo. When did Dad start teaching you this stuff?"

"Last month sometime."

Levi thought back. He'd gone off the birth control and suppressants, so he supposed it made sense that Erwin would have started trying to prep Lance for it once he noticed. The man was always trying to plan ahead, and Levi himself had been putting off telling their son about it.

"Are you mad, Papa?"

Levi looked at the child again, and he shook his head. "Just confused as to why you haven't been making your own cocktails, if you've known how to put them together."

"Like I said: Daddy makes them better."

Levi had to agree with that. He just hoped nobody ever saw Lance mixing drinks and got the wrong idea. He could just imagine Erwin throwing a party and one of the other parents seeing their son 'bartending' at the age of seven.

"Okay, you need to promise me something, Lance."

"What, Papa?" The boy kicked his legs, and he put a hand curiously against Levi's stomach. "Why is your tummy still flat?"

"It's not going to start getting bigger for a few weeks," explained Levi. "Now pay attention, brat. When there are people around besides us, you don't make those cocktails even if you think I need one, okay? It's fine if you want to make up your own for school or bring me one when it's just us, but other people aren't going to understand."

"But I pour my own soda all the time," reasoned Lance. "Milk, too. I just do like you taught me and tell people it's a vitamin drink."

"Yeah, but if they see you mixing it the way your sire does, they're going to think it's something boys your age shouldn't be having. Keep it on the down-low."

By the look on Lance's face, he didn't quite understand what Levi meant. He didn't question it further, though. "Okay."

* * *

By the time Levi and Eren were both showing, everyone knew they had babies on the way. Petra was happy for them both despite her own difficulties in starting a family, and she helped out with Lance whenever she could. Levi predictably started having trouble staying awake during the day, and the dreaded sunlight sensitivity came on full-force at the worst possible time. He was supposed to go with Eren to get some blood tests done, having convinced him that it was better for him to determine whose baby he was having. If it was Mikasa's, then Eren was going to need to be better prepared for the special needs it would have.

Unfortunately, Levi got blinded as soon as he pulled out of the garage. He immediately re-parked and went inside to call Eren up on the phone.

"Hey Eren, I can't make it today," Levi said when the other man picked up the phone. "Tried to step outside and I feel like someone drove needles into my eyes."

"Oh crap, are you okay?"

"Yeah." Levi popped his sunglasses on, and he went into the first floor bathroom to get some aspirin. "I'm back inside and out of daylight. I'll be fine. You've still got to go and get this done, though. If that kid you're having is Mikasa's, we're gonna need to go over some extra things."

"I know, Levi. I'm more worried about you right now, though. Do you have anyone that can come and stay with you until your family gets home?"

"I'm just going to draw the blinds in the bedroom and lay down for a nap. Just get your ass to the clinic today and don't miss your appointment. See if any of the girls at the club are free to go with you if nobody else can, but get it done."

"I will," promised Eren. "Please make sure you eat, okay? I'll call you later on to let you know what the results are."

"Good. Talk to you later."

Levi hung up the phone with a sigh. He looked down at his abdomen, which was rounding out with the first visible signs of his condition. He placed a hand over it, rubbing slowly.

"Here we go again. At least you're going a little easier on me than the last one did."

Levi spoke a little too soon. After getting a couple of aspirin to take and going into the kitchen to pour himself a cocktail, he started feeling light-headed. He set his glass down next to the two pills, and he took a few steadying breaths.

"Shit. I just had to open my big mouth."

He leaned over the counter, waiting for it to pass. As he tried to clear his head, he got his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Erwin's number. He took his aspirin as he waited for his mate to pick up.

"Levi, I'm about to have a client meeting," Erwin said as soon as he answered. "Can I call you right back?"

"I'm dizzy," stated the vampire.

"I'll cancel the meeting," came the immediate response, "Or have someone else cover it for me. Lie down, elevate your feet and drink your juice, all right? I'll be home as soon as I can, and I'll call Hange."

"Yeah. Yeah, okay. See you soon." Levi accidentally dropped the phone on the floor as he went to hang up, and he started to bend over to retrieve it but changed his mind. He gulped down the rest of his thick cocktail with a grimace. He hadn't shaken it to keep it from congealing, and the refrigeration didn't help. He rinsed his mouth out with water from the tap, and he started for the stairs.

He wasn't going to make it. He could feel his legs giving out on him. He opted out of trying to get upstairs, and he went into the living room to lie down on the couch, instead. Luckily the room was facing the south, so the late morning sun wasn't coming in through the windows yet. Levi grabbed the throw blanket sitting on the back of the couch, and he tossed it up over him since trying to close the curtains wasn't an option for him right now.

* * *

Erwin called out to his spouse the moment he came in through the door, having asked the gate keeper if he'd spoken with or seen Levi since the phone call. When the man said he hadn't seen him at all today, Erwin fought down panic.

"Levi? I'm home."

"In here," answered the omega's voice from the first floor living room.

Erwin dropped his briefcase on the foyer side table without ceremony, and he rushed into the room he'd heard Levi call out from. He found him bundled up on the couch, peeking out from a soft throw blanket. His round shades were on, and his face was paler than usual. Erwin went to his side immediately, seating himself on the edge of the couch and taking Levi's hand. It felt cool in his grip.

"How is it? Any nausea or numbness?"

"A little. Not too bad," answered Levi. "I made it to the couch before it hit me too hard. Didn't want to try and get up to close the curtains."

Erwin glanced up at the drapery on the windows, and he gave Levi's hand a squeeze before leaving his side to close them before the sunlight could creep in. He went back to his ailing omega, and he sighed as he stroked Levi's shiny black hair.

"I knew we should have started closing all of the blinds and curtains every morning. Did you try to go out?"

"Yeah, I told you I was going to go with Eren to get his paternity tests done."

Erwin frowned. "Why can't his partners go with him? It's their DNA they need to match up, anyhow."

"They've already got Armin's type on file, and Mikasa is supposed to meet up with Eren there. He just didn't want to go in alone."

"Ah, I see."

Although Erwin really _didn't_ see. Hange was both Eren and Levi's doctor now, with Moblit assisting her whenever her schedule got too booked. By now, Eren Jaeger should have felt comfortable enough to go to his own appointments without Levi holding his hand. Erwin didn't particularly like the thought of his spouse going out in the daylight knowing that he could start having bad reactions to it any day now.

"Levi, I know you aren't going to like hearing this, but I think it's time for you to follow the routine and stay indoors during daylight hours. I appreciate your desire to help Eren, but he's an adult and your condition is more delicate than his."

"Yeah, I know."

Erwin almost did a double-take. It wasn't like his mate to concede so readily. He felt Levi's forehead and upon finding it clammy, he started to gather him up. "Put your arms around my neck, love. Lets get you to the bedroom and get you some nourishment."

Levi unquestioningly hugged the alpha around the neck, and Erwin scooped him up with a small grunt of effort. He carried Levi to the stairs and up to the master bedroom. Fortunately the blinds in there were already closed, so Erwin set Levi down on the bed, and he undid the top three buttons of the omega's shirt to make him more comfortable.

"Can you sit up, or do we need to do this by the wrist?" asked Erwin.

"I can sit up for a minute if you help me," answered Levi. "Just get the bandages and shit from the bathroom first. I don't want to mess up your suit."

"I don't give a damn about my suit, but I'll get them. Just relax."

Erwin went to the connecting bathroom to get the items they needed, and he undid his tie as he came back in. He set aside the gauze, ointment and bandaging before loosening his collar and unbuttoning his shirt. He helped Levi to sit up, and he presented his throat to him.

"Levi?"

Erwin looked at his spouse as the omega's head flopped back. He gave Levi a little shake to rouse him, scared that he would go into a comatose state. "Come out of it, Levi. Stay awake long enough to feed."

Levi's mouth fell open, his eyes opening sleepily. He let Erwin guide him to his throat, and seconds later his fangs went in. Erwin held still and supported the back of Levi's head while the vampire drank from him. Levi stopped a little too soon for Erwin's liking, but he refused to drink more when the blond tried to coax him too. Sighing, Erwin wiped Levi's mouth off for him and then treated the fresh puncture wounds in his neck.

"You were doing so well, too," whispered Erwin regretfully. What a selfish bastard he was, pushing Levi for all this time to give him another child, knowing damned well what it would cost him. "Hange is going to come and look at you. I'm not leaving until she does."

"You've got work and shit, though." Levi said, pulling his shades off. The room was dim enough not to hurt his eyes. "It's just a little dizziness. At least I'm not puking up a river of blood."

"All the same, I'm not leaving your side until she gets here and assures me it's safe to do so." Erwin placed a hand over Levi's belly, glancing down at it. "I want confirmation that you're both all right."

"Just don't piss off your clients," mumbled Levi.

"My clients understand that family comes first," insisted Erwin, "and if they don't, that's too bad for them. They know who I represent, and they aren't going to be foolish enough to raise a fuss. Now rest, and don't worry about my work."

Levi grumbled something that faded into a murmur, and his head turned to the side as he fell asleep. Erwin pulled off his shoes and got into the bed with him, lying diligently beside him and watching for any signs that his condition was worsening.

* * *

Hange gave Levi a thorough examination, leaving Moblit to take care of clinic business. Some of the color returned to the omega's complexion by the time she got there, and after checking all of his vitals and his blood count, she assured Erwin that he was going to be okay. His blood pressure had dropped and caused the dizzy spells, a result of sunlight exposure. She advised that he double his blood intake and keep the house darkened during the day.

"You did the right thing, calling me right away," she told him after closing up her medical case. "He doesn't need a transfusion. Just make sure he eats well when he wakes up, and try to keep the kiddo from wearing him out when he gets home from school."

Erwin breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Hange. I'll make sure he does as you say."

"Good. Oh Erwin, you look so worried! He's okay now, and this is the first complication he's had since he got pregnant. He really is doing well, compared to the last time."

"Yes, but seeing him like this again..." Erwin trailed off with a sigh, and he rubbed his jaw. "I pushed him too hard."

Hange tucked Levi in, and she shouldered her bag. "I think we both know that if Levi really didn't want to have kid number two, he'd have gotten his procedure done by now. This was his choice, and you don't have as much power over his decisions as you give yourself credit for."

"Ouch." Erwin winced, and then he smirked. "Well stated, though. Would you like to stay for a drink or some lunch? I'm taking the rest of the day off."

"Ah, I would, but I've got another adoption agency to go and yell at." She checked her watch. "I'll eat on the go. Remind Levi for me that he's got another prenatal coming up on Friday, though. I can come out and do another house call so that he doesn't have to try and get out. I'll try to schedule the next one after that for night time if I can."

"All right. I appreciate everything you do. I know you're overworked right now, and you've got your own concerns."

Hange shrugged. "A day in the life, boss. That's all it is. I'm used to running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Take care of your honey and enjoy the rest of your day! Oh, and Petra's still picking up Lance from school, so maybe I'll come back around that time to visit some more."

"You're welcome to," invited Erwin. "Thank you again."

* * *

Levi could hardly believe it when his uncle showed up at his door a few days later with two suitcases. Kenny told him that he was going to be staying there with him during the daylight hours. Erwin was apparently responsible for the arrangement, and Levi vaguely recalled him mentioning it while they were drifting off to sleep the night before.

"Hold on a minute," sputtered Levi as the tall, wiry vampire pushed his way past him and closed the front door. "He never cleared this with me and neither did you. What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Told ya, I'm staying here with you for a while," answered Kenny. He looked around and nodded when he saw that all the windows in the vicinity were covered. "You need someone around that knows what to do if you get sick, whelp. So until the loaf drops, you're just going to have to put up with me."

Levi clenched his jaw. "I'm going to kill him."

"Oi, don't be so hard on your mobster lawyer or whatever the fuck he is now. Smith's just trying to take care of you and since he can't be around all day, he asked me to come. I won't get in your way."

"Famous last words." Levi followed Kenny to the stairs, digging his phone out as they went. "What about the club?"

"What about it?" Kenny paused with one foot on the first step. "I'm usually there at night anyway, and the place practically runs itself now. I've got Ymir doing some of the management while Jaeger's laid up, and the new database makes it a hell of a lot easier to handle finances. Anyone that needs me can holler at me on the phone. So, which bedroom do I get?"

Levi rolled his eyes. He didn't have the energy to fight Kenny on this, but he sure as hell would have words with his spouse about it. "Just pick one on the second floor. Doesn't matter which."

"Got it. I'll put my shit away and make you up a cocktail."

The offer only annoyed Levi more.

* * *

Erwin certainly heard about it from Levi. He took the verbal bashing stoically, combating his omega's ire with calm logic and talking him down until Levi was no longer threatening to toss him through a wall. He told him that they needed to take every precaution this time. He reasoned that their house was big enough for Levi to barely see Kenny, and he reminded him that it was only a temporary arrangement until the baby came.

Poor Erwin didn't have sex again for almost three weeks after that. Levi was so resentful that he didn't go to bed for the first three days of Kenny's stay until after Erwin got up and went to work. He cooled off eventually, because Kenny did stay more or less out of the way, sleeping through most of the day like Levi and usually leaving right after dinner to go about his business.

The two Ackerman's clashed swords a couple of times as Levi grew heavier. One such time, they got into a cussing match so foul in front of Lance that Erwin promptly told the boy to go to his room and watch a movie. He then had to run damage control before the two vampires both forgot Levi was pregnant and got violent with each other. Somehow he brought the situation back under control before blood was shed, and Kenny stormed out to go and have some drinks at the club.

"Levi, you can't get worked up like this," Erwin said to his mate as they sat down on their bed together. "I know your uncle rubs you the wrong way and vice-versa, but strangely enough, he's the only one available to help us like this who I can trust. You're doing so well with this baby right now, and I want to make sure it stays that way. Do you know how much I worry about you every day when I'm away at work?"

"Yeah, you blow up my phone every fucking hour on the dot," griped the omega. He rubbed his baby bump, which had become more prominent since Kenny moved in.

"Only because I want to be sure you're getting everything you need." Erwin put his hand over Levi's smaller one, resting on his tummy. "You and the baby. I would stay home with you instead, if I could."

"I'd have been more agreeable if you'd tried to move Eren in here instead."

"But Eren has his own responsibilities and his own health to consider," reminded Erwin. "He also lives with his partners. I can't expect him to come out here and stay with you."

"Why not? He's having Mikasa's kid, and he needs some of the same kind of care I do. We could ask all three of them to come stay. We've got the room." Levi plopped onto his back, eyeballing the ceiling fan.

"Don't you think it would get a bit crowded here, with two pregnant omegas and their alphas?" Erwin slipped his hand under Levi's shirt to rest it over his belly, wondering when they might feel the baby move for the first time.

"Tch, Kenny makes it crowded all by himself. Armin and Mikasa both work all day, so it would just be me and Eren 'till the brat comes home from school in the afternoons."

"Yes, two expecting omegas, both carrying vampire offspring. That doesn't inspire great feelings of security for me. What if one or both of you should have a complication that requires medical attention?"

"Eren's not a vamp himself, so aside from needing more iron intake, he's having a relatively normal pregnancy," Levi pointed out, "and he doesn't drive me to want to drink, like Kenny does."

Erwin smiled down at him. "How about a compromise, then? We can invite them to come and stay so that you have company you can tolerate, but Kenny stays as well. That way, you have your friend around and I have the peace of mind knowing that you have someone around that knows what to do for you if something goes wrong."

Levi seemed to waver a bit, and Erwin could detect his uncertainty. He tried to sweeten the deal, while at the same time giving his spouse a gentle reminder that Levi had more than himself to consider.

"I'll have Kenny move into the pool house," offered Erwin. "That way he's here if you need him, and you won't have to interact with him otherwise at all. Think of our baby, Levi. Isn't it worth it to put up with your uncle for just a bit longer?"

Levi scowled at him. "That's emotional blackmail."

"Yes, it is. I'm sorry to resort to it, but have I said anything untrue?"

The omega sighed, and he threw an arm over his eyes. "All right, have it your way. I sure as hell hope you appreciate what I'm going through for your 'peace of mind'."

Erwin bent over to kiss Levi softly on the lips. "I appreciate everything you give me, even your scowls. I'll leave it up to you to invite Eren and the others to come and stay. They're more likely to accept if you ask them."

"Not necessarily," argued Levi. "You're Mikasa's old boss, so if you ask as a personal favor she might be more receptive."

"Then I'll do that if she's reluctant, but Eren is your friend."

Levi shrugged. "All right."

* * *

"Well, this could be a bit awkward," said Armin as he pulled up to Erwin and Levi's house.

"Why?" Eren questioned. "We stayed here for a while before."

"Yes, but under different circumstances, and it's been years since we stayed for more than an overnight visit." Armin drove the sedan up the driveway and parked it where they'd been instructed to. He looked back at Eren, who was sitting in the back seat because he found it more comfortable. "Just remember to let Mikasa and I handle the luggage. I don't want to catch you trying to lift any of it again."

"I can carry my backpack," argued the omega. "It isn't that heavy."

"Eren, you're already carrying extra weight." Mikasa turned to give him a stern look, peering at him over the top of her shades. "Leave the luggage to us, please. You just put your feet up and relax once we get inside."

Eren grimaced, but he wasn't about to win an argument against the both of them...especially after finding out their latest news. "Fine. You guys are babying me too much, though."

"We have double the reason now," Armin shot back. He cut the ignition and got out to help Eren, while Mikasa went to start unloading the bags from the trunk. "Okay, give me your hand."

Eren reached for it, and he got out with a grunt. While his two companions got the luggage, Eren approached the main entrance to the big house, waddling slightly. He rang the bell and waited while someone came to the door. It was Lance, and Eren smiled at the boy as he opened it up to greet him.

"Hey, Uncle Eren! Wow, look how big you are!"

"Yeah, I'm pretty round now." Eren patted his extended stomach. "Is your papa awake yet?"

"Yeah, he's in the kitchen making dinner. Come on! I wanna show you my new racing game." Lance took Eren's hand and started tugging him along. "You can customize your car into whatever you want. I won three races against Dad last night."

"Wow, three races," repeated Eren. He smelled the aroma of Italian food coming from the kitchen as he followed the child inside, and his mouth watered. "Uh, tell you what, Lance; why don't you show me after dinner? I'm sure Levi could use a little help."

Lance looked disappointed, but he nodded. "Okay. I already set the table."

"Aren't you a helpful kid. Go play while I talk to your papa, okay?"

Lance agreed, and he took off up the stairs, his feet pounding at the steps. Not long ago, Eren would have raced him to the top, but now he stood no chance of keeping up with the kid. He made his way into the kitchen, and he found Levi checking on a lasagna.

"Hey. That smells really good, Levi."

The other omega turned around to regard him, and he blinked at the sight of him. "What the hell? I thought you were only due a month or so before me."

Eren rubbed his stomach and nodded. "I am. It's just uh...well, we haven't talked much since you invited us to come, because you're always sleeping when I'm awake and vice-versa."

Levi closed the oven again, and he walked over to the taller man with a frown. "So what's with this? You look like you're ready to pop already."

"We just found out a couple of weeks ago when I really started to blow up. You know how I said it's Mikasa's baby?"

Levi nodded. "How many did she fucking _put_ in you, Jaeger?"

Eren laughed a little uncomfortably. "Just one, but I've also got Armin's baby in there. They thought it was twins when they did the last ultrasound, but then they ran some tests and, well...I'm not sure how, but I got pregnant twice."

The former dancer blinked slowly at him. "Twice."

"Uh-huh."

"By two different people?"

Eren shrugged. "Yeah. Mikasa's was in the front when they did the first ultrasound, so they didn't see the second one at first. She was hiding behind her brother."

"How in the fuck is that possible?" Levi demanded. It was the closest Eren had ever seen him to looking horrified.

"Well, we were all three doing it while I was in heat. I guess they both fertilized me. We just found out yesterday that they're not normal twins. Hange called them uh...what was it? Super-something twins."

"Superfecundation," Armin obliged as he joined them in the kitchen. "Hello, Levi. How are you?"

"Confused as all fuck," admitted the vampire. He gestured at Eren. "It took them this long to figure it out?"

"There was some understandable confusion," offered the blond. He pulled out a stool at the bar for Eren. "We had no idea there was more than one until we noticed how big Eren was getting, so we took him in to be sure nothing was abnormal."

"Looks like something's abnormal, all right. Christ." Levi shook his head. He went to the fridge to get out some refreshment, and he glanced Eren's way with another shake of his head. "You poor bastard."

"It's not that bad." Eren shrugged, a little embarrassed over all the attention he was getting. "It looks worse because I'm carrying toward the front, but the babies are actually really small. Probably no bigger than yours is right now."

"We'll see if you still feel that way when its time for them to come out." Levi poured a glass of ice water for Eren, squeezing a lemon wedge into it. For Armin and Mikasa, he got out a couple of wine coolers. "I said you were 'laid up' not too long ago, but I guess that's more accurate than I thought. Are you going to be able to get your swollen ass up the stairs tonight?"

"I'm not swollen," huffed Eren. He took the water offered to him, and he sipped at it. "Well, not yet. My feet swell if I don't elevate them enough. I haven't had any swelling in my face, though."

Mikasa came in, and she immediately pushed one of the other stools closer to Eren and grabbed his ankles to prop them up on it. He almost teetered from the sudden shift in balance, and Armin put a steadying arm around him.

"Easy, Mikasa!" Eren cried. "You're not helping me by flipping me over."

"I...I'm sorry," she offered, flushing.

Eren sighed, and he took pity on her. Mikasa just didn't know her own strength at times. "It's okay. You're just looking out for me."

"All right, before you three clowns accidentally break each others' necks," Levi said, "go have a seat at the table. I've got the salad out for starters and a cocktail for Mikasa. Erwin should be getting home soon. Eren, go ahead and prop your feet up in one of the dining chairs. Try not to break any of them."

"I'm not _that_ big," groused Eren, taking his drink and easing off the bar stool.

* * *

Erwin was just as shocked as Levi by the sight of Eren. He started having visions of the young man going into labor in their home, and he hoped he hadn't made a mistake by agreeing to have him and his partners come and stay. As if Levi's condition wasn't worrisome enough, now he had an omega in his house that somehow got impregnated by two people within the same time period.

"Well, this is...unique," Erwin said politely after having the situation explained to him. "I've heard of rare instances like this, but I never thought I would know anyone it happened to."

"Better get back on that birth control again as soon as you can, once those kids come out," Levi advised. "That is, unless you just want to get fixed again. I probably would."

"Believe me, I'm thinking about it." Eren scooped up a generous helping of lasagna. "And I'm always hungry."

"I've got the opposite problem," muttered Levi.

"Yes, you do," Erwin agreed. "Drink your cocktail."

Levi sighed, but he dutifully sucked down more of his liquid dinner. Erwin felt bad about it when he grimaced, but he couldn't let his mate slack off on the nutrients. Eren was watching with a little frown, looking morbidly curious.

"What's that taste like?" asked Eren.

Levi glanced at his friend, and he pushed the glass across the table to him. "See for yourself."

"Er, I don't know if that's a good idea," Armin cautioned.

Eren picked the glass up anyway, studied it for a moment and then tried a sip. He smacked his lips, and he looked surprised. "It's...not bad."

"Eren, you do realize that's blood," whispered Armin.

"I know. I've seen Levi and Mikasa both drink it plenty of times. I just..." Eren drank more of it while they all stared. "I don't know, it doesn't taste how I thought it would."

"Daddy?"

Erwin shook himself out of his daze, and he turned to regard his son. "What is it, Lance? Have you finished your supper?" They'd let him eat in his room tonight for the sake of having a quiet dinner with their guests.

"I can't eat it all," informed the boy. "My game system's not working right, either."

"Excuse me," Erwin said to the others. "I'll be back. Come on, little man. Let's find out what's going on with your game."

Erwin bent over to let his son climb onto his back, and he carried him out of the kitchen. He wasn't sorry to be interrupted, because seeing Eren Jaeger—an ordinary human—drinking Levi's blood cocktail was a bit disturbing.

* * *

"Okay, what's with the creepy change of taste?" Levi demanded, surprised by Eren's reaction to the drink. "I know some people get weird cravings when they're pregnant, but that's fucked up."

"Actually if you think about it," Armin interjected, "One of the babies Eren is carrying happens to be a vampire. His iron count has been low, and a lot of people crave raw or rare meat when that happens. I never considered that until now."

"Can I have some more?" Eren asked, having drained the rest of the glass while they were talking.

Levi stared at the glass, then at Eren. "Sure. Just don't make yourself sick, kid."

"He can finish mine," Mikasa offered, sliding her glass over to her omega lover. "There you go, Eren."

He took the drink eagerly, and Levi looked away as Eren chugged it like a frat boy at a keg party. He wished he could enjoy those cocktails as much as Eren apparently was. Maybe the younger omega had such a thirst for it because his body needed it, as Armin suggested. He was getting something he didn't even know his system was missing. Maybe that explained the constant hunger Eren had been complaining about.

"I'm gonna go fix another one for myself," Levi announced. "Eren—"

"Yeah, I'll take one more too," stated the ravenous, green-eyed omega. He handed Mikasa's glass over to Levi after draining it.

* * *

"Uuuhhh..."

Levi sighed at his friend when he heard Eren's groan. They were sitting at the poolside together, soaking their feet in the water now that the sun had gone down.

"I told you not to overdo it."

Eren burped into his hand. "I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry for going crazy with it. I know you need your blood supply and here I went turning into a...a blood-o-holic."

"Your body probably needs it right now," excused Levi. "Kind of like a dehydrated man guzzles water. I've got plenty."

"Yeah, but you seemed more grossed out than anyone."

Levi looked at him, and he shrugged. "I've been drinking the shit my whole life, and right now it's all I can have. I get sick of it. I don't know how you didn't puke your guts out after slamming so many of those in a row."

"It wasn't even the taste," mused Eren. "It was...like you said about water. It doesn't really have a taste, but when you're really thirsty a cold glass of water is the best. That's kind of what it was like when I tried that cocktail. I couldn't get enough."

Levi nodded in understanding, and Eren watched him with curious eyes. "Is that what it's like when...you know, when you haven't had any in a while?"

"Yeah," agreed Levi softly. "Every time. That's why it's so dangerous for a vampire to go without for too long and then bite someone. You remember what happened with Mikasa that time at your place."

"I remember," whispered Eren. "So one of my kids is going to grow up with that thirst. We knew it was a possibility, but I never knew how bad it could be. Gah, I just drank about a gallon of blood! You were right, that's fucked up."

"Again, your needs have altered," reminded Levi. "You're still human. You have the blood craving because one of those brats your carrying is a vampire. It's only temporary, like my sensitivity to sunlight and silver. Once we've had these kids, we'll both go back to normal in time."

Well, maybe not "normal". Levi had to admit that he'd never been quite the same since having Lance. Parenthood tended to change people permanently, even if those changes were subtle.

"But anyway, just roll with it right now and think of it like tomato juice or something," he advised. "If it satisfies you to consume it, then we can arrange you to have your own supply until you don't need it anymore. I'll have Erwin give you the mixture recipe he uses to make it more palatable. At least you can still eat normal food. I can't even eat the damned celery stick he puts in mine."

Eren winced. "Sorry this is so hard on you, Levi. Have you had any more problems since that day you had to cancel coming with me?"

Levi shook his head. "Not yet, and hopefully not again."

"Well, that's good."

Mikasa came out to join them, and she was wearing her black trikini bathing suit. She gave Levi a little smile of greeting, and then she walked over to the steps leading into the pool. She hesitated, and she gave him a questioning look.

"Go ahead." He nodded at the pool. "It's there to swim in and you guys can make yourselves at home."

"Thank you, sir."

Levi nearly rolled his eyes. "Don't call me that. I'm not your boss and I'm not old."

"Sorry. I was just trying to be respectful."

He shrugged. Mikasa had been very respectful toward him since the day they found Eren and Armin missing and Levi joined forces with her to try and track them down. He was kind of used to it, but it didn't feel right for her to be so formal while she and her boys were his room-mates. They all knew the rules about cleaning up after themselves and pitching in with cooking and childcare when they could...unlike a certain rat now staying in the pool house. Thankfully, Kenny was gone for the night and he likely wouldn't return until after dawn.

Mikasa started swimming laps while Levi and Eren continued to talk. Armin came out after a while, also prepared for a swim and carrying a half-drank wine cooler. Dressed in aqua swimming trunks with shell patterns on them, he paused to give Eren's shoulder a subtle, fond squeeze before joining Mikasa in the pool. Erwin eventually joined them all as well, bringing out with him a tray of blood cocktails for Levi, Mikasa and Eren's consumption.

"Another one?" Levi sighed, taking one of the glasses when Erwin offered it to him.

"Yes, another one." Erwin scooted one of the loungers closer, and he relaxed in it with a brandy. "Lance is finishing his homework, and then I told him he could have a swim before bath and bed time."

"All right. Thanks." Pacified that Erwin had taken care of everything, Levi watched his spouse as he sipped at his drink. He could bitch and moan about Erwin's protectiveness, but Levi had to admit the man had the job of husband and father down a lot tighter than most. All he really had to do was snap his fingers, and Erwin would come running with anything he desired.

* * *

-To be continued


	37. Chapter 37

Along with the usual intolerance to sunlight, silver and solid foods came the dreaded lactation. It started a bit later in this pregnancy than it had with the first one, but Levi was more prepared for it now. Eren had already started, and the poor kid freaked out when it began even though he'd been told to expect it. Levi showed him how to wrap padding over his chest to help with sensitivity and leakage, and a couple of weeks after that, he was in the same boat.

Levi had another minor episode of weakness one evening while Erwin was out of town on business, and Lance was the first one to notice it. The boy ran to get Kenny, who was thankfully home at the time. Kenny took care of Levi until he was sure he didn't need to call Hange for a house visit, and then he went back into the boat house to leave him in peace.

It wasn't as bad as Levi had anticipated. Kenny still rattled on his nerves whenever they spent any time together, but all in all, the man kept to himself. Armin was always busy with work during the day, and Mikasa usually worked later hours until around midnight. That left Eren and Levi with the entire house to themselves through most of the daylight hours, though Levi slept through those hours more often than not. When he wasn't working on club finances with his laptop, Eren amused himself with video games, movies and swimming.

Syndicate members sometimes came by for visits, as did some of the strippers and staff from the Omega Experience. Summer break came, and Lance started having friends over just about every day. Poor Eren was stuck doing most of the supervising over the kids, since Levi couldn't go outside and was often too tired to get out of bed while the sun was up.

Levi started to get used to having 'the trio' around. In fact, he was enjoying it. They did their share of housework when things got dirty between the weekly cleaner visits. Armin helped Lance with his homework when he needed it. Mikasa took care of things like replacing smoke alarm batteries, keeping the pool clean between maintenance visits and general, minor repairs. Eren kept Levi company and helped with laundry and meal preparation.

In fact, the longer they stayed, the more Levi realized he was going to miss them when they left.

* * *

"Hey, I've got an idea."

Erwin folded another shirt on the bed, and he glanced up from his task at his spouse. He smiled impulsively at him as the omega finished changing into his pajamas. Levi was so cute with his pregnant belly in his black and purple PJ's.

"What's that?"

Levi didn't answer right away, seeming to consider his wording before continuing. "Eren and the others should just move in permanently."

Erwin's brows slowly migrated upwards. "Including Kenny?"

"Hell no, just the trio," corrected Levi with a little shudder.

Erwin frowned a little, and he started putting away his folded clothing. "Okay...what brought this on? I thought you valued your privacy and the fewer people around you, the better."

"Yeah, but they're all right. They don't invade my space and they help out around here. Besides, that place they're renting right now is small for five people. They've got two brats on the way, and we've got more than enough room. Shit, we had this place filled up with strippers for a while, and that wasn't so bad."

Erwin considered him carefully, well aware that Levi's hormonal state could be influencing his thought processes. "You would have to put up with three babies in the same house."

"Yeah, but I'd have three more parents around to help with that." Levi shrugged. "And by then I'll be more like myself again. I won't be so weak and tired all the time. We could take shifts so everyone gets a break."

"It sounds like what you're suggesting is more of a community arrangement."

Levi approached him, and he leaned against the dresser drawers. "Maybe I am. You're used to having a big 'family'. I'm sure you can see the benefits in what I'm proposing, especially with kids on the way."

"I do, but I also see potential disaster." Erwin closed the drawer he'd just finished depositing clothes into, and he stroked Levi's hair. "You say this now, but what happens after our child comes and you've recovered? You may come to regret it, and I know you don't have the most patience with people."

"Depends on the people." Levi shrugged. "Yeah, Eren can get on my nerves sometimes because the kid's flaky and impulsive, but he's a good guy. He's going to drop those brats any day now, and he's going to need help and advice. I'm also going to need help. They have an income, so they can pay us the rent they've been paying for that apartment they're in. It's not like they'd be freeloading, and to be honest, this place is too fucking big for just us. I know you like it because there's plenty of room for your associates to crash and it's great for parties, but think about all that empty space when we don't have people over."

Levi sighed, and his brows pinched. "To be honest, it gets lonely."

Ah, there it was; the core truth behind Levi's idea. Erwin could understand that. Levi worked from home now, and with a baby on the way, he didn't have the opportunity to get out and do things. Apparently even a recluse like him needed some kind of a social life. Erwin caved, feeling sorry for his beloved, cranky omega.

"I'll tell you what," offered the blond, "if you're still feeling this way after the baby comes, we'll sit down and discuss it with your friends. I don't plan on rushing them out the door the minute our child arrives anyway. As you've said: you'll need help while you recover, and yes, Eren will need help too. If you still think you want them to move in as permanent tenants after that, I'm willing to make a deal."

"Sure. I'm not going to change my mind."

Erwin wasn't so sure of that, but he had to concede that Levi tended to stick with his decisions like glue, once he made them. Even if it turned out to be a decision he might regret, the odds of the omega going back on it were slim to none.

"Stubborn," Erwin remarked fondly. He brushed a thumb over Levi's pert little nose. "You know that I would do anything for you, though."

"Yeah, 'cause you're whipped."

Erwin laughed softly, and he rubbed Levi's belly and bent over to kiss him lingeringly.

"Call it what you will," he murmured. "I say it's because I'm in love."

* * *

To ensure that his spouse wouldn't go back on his agreement to let the trio move in, Levi tried to sex him up good that night. The problem was that he was seven months along now, rather heavy and not nearly as graceful as he usually was. His first attempt to straddle Erwin as they lay down to sleep resulted in Levi over-balancing. In the process of trying to right himself, he plastered his hand over his alpha's handsome face. If that weren't embarrassing enough, Levi also kneed him in the balls by accident.

"Shit, I'm sorry," he exclaimed as Erwin sat up with a groan, covering his junk with both hands. "If they weren't so big, they wouldn't get in the way."

"Could have just left it at 'I'm sorry'," grunted Erwin, his face tense with pain.

Levi winced, and he crawled off of Erwin's lap before he could do more damage to him. "I'll go and get a cold pack to put on it."

"No, it's all right." Erwin reached out to grab the omega's arm to stop him. "You only bumped them. It will fade soon."

Levi folded his legs under him, watching with faint guilt in his expression. "I was trying to be sexy."

"I got that." Erwin took a steadying breath, and he met Levi's gaze with a wry smirk. "Channeling Eren, were you?"

Levi flushed at the comparison, though Eren Jaeger was much more graceful on the stage than he was in other situations. "I'm not _that_ bad. I'm just top-heavy right now. You try being sexy with a bloated belly."

Erwin reached out to caress Levi's face, his mouth relaxing into a gentle smile for him. "You _are_ sexy, Levi. You don't need to perform for me to prove it. You know I find you just as alluring pregnant as I do when you aren't."

"Tch, maybe even more," muttered the vampire. He didn't care what Erwin said; the man had a pregnancy fetish. He wasn't vulgar about it, but Erwin wasn't shy about sucking on his nipples when Levi was lactating.

"I think it would be more abnormal for me not to find you sexy while carrying my child," reasoned Erwin. He rubbed his groin with residual pain, still tracing Levi's features with the fingers of his other hand. "Would you rather I be uninterested?"

"No." Levi sighed. Erwin always made him feel wanted. Levi just had trouble seeing why.

"You didn't do it on purpose," excused Erwin. He scooted closer and he put an arm around him. He spoke against Levi's hair as he nuzzled it. "Frankly, it's always gratifying to me when you initiate something in this condition. I know sex gets awkward for you at this stage."

"Don't want you to feel neglected," mumbled the omega, "plus I wanted to reward you for being so agreeable earlier when I brought up my idea about the trio."

Erwin's smile faded, and he pulled back to look the omega in the eye. "Levi, do not _ever_ think that you're obligated to have sex with me. Not as your duty as my mate, and not as a trade for something. Maybe in the beginning our relationship was based on an exchange like that, but things are different now. You're my partner, and the bearer of my children. If you come to me, I want it to be because you want me."

"Hey, I get horny too," Levi pointed out his crotch as an example, which was still a bit tented from his earlier excitement. "If you think I'd fuck you just because I feel obligated, think again. It's never been like that. It's just...I dunno, it's how I get close. I don't know how to talk like you do and I'm not good at affection, so I express it through sex."

That seemed to comfort the alpha. "That, I can believe." Erwin cupped Levi's chin and tilted his head back for a kiss. "You're very good at expressing yourself that way."

"Not tonight, I'm not," mumbled Levi against the bigger man's mouth.

Erwin eased Levi back against the mattress, guiding him to lie down. "Then allow me to take the initiative."

Levi relaxed against the bed, gazing up at Erwin as the alpha got onto his side and leaned over him. He parted his lips when Erwin closed in for a kiss, and he let the blond's tongue into his mouth. Levi sucked on it a little before caressing it with his own tongue. Erwin flicked open the buttons of the omega's pajama shirt, and Levi's nipples tightened when they were exposed to the cool air. He tensed a bit with anticipation when Erwin's fingertips ghosted over his chest. Tingly pleasure raced through him moments later, provoked by Erwin gently squeezing and fondling a nipple. The alpha repeated the action with the other nipple, and Levi's groin throbbed.

It was always so easy to get in the mood with this man. Erwin had always had some kind of sexual power over Levi, even in the very beginning. Levi purred in his throat as his mate's touch continued, and a flush started to spread over his cheeks. The stimulation predictably began to make him lactate. It wasn't as embarrassing to Levi as it once was; probably because Erwin always paid so much attention to his nipples and encouraged him to let go of his misgivings and just enjoy it.

"Ah, shit," gasped Levi when his alpha broke the kiss and started teasing the buds with his tongue. His back arched, and a tremor went through him. Levi sucked in a shaken breath as Erwin's lips closed over the right nipple and tugged on it. He impulsively rubbed his hardened groin against the powerful thigh Erwin wedged between his legs. A whimper broke free, and Levi stroked the alpha's golden hair.

Attentive as always, Erwin sucked, licked and fondled Levi's nipples, taking his time with it and driving the omega into a state of blissful lust. He occasionally glanced up at Levi's face as he suckled him, his sapphire gaze intense and warm on him.

Erwin cupped Levi between the legs, rubbing his package through his pajama pants as he continued his attentions to his chest. Now squirming and panting, Levi started to get wet. His spouse's attentions felt too good for the omega to care much about the slick he was starting to produce, and he didn't resist when Erwin deftly tugged his pants off. Soon the blond's pajama pants also hit the floor with Levi's, and his tawny nudity was a treat to the eyes.

"Roll over onto your side," husked Erwin, finally pausing in his suckling.

Now dominated by his sexual urges, Levi did as his companion suggested. He gasped sharply as Erwin spooned up behind him and eased a finger inside of him. Levi relaxed around the probing digit, turning his head for a sloppy kiss as Erwin leaned over him. Their tongues caressed and parted as Erwin started pumping his finger, loosening the omega up and encouraging further lubrication.

"Here I come, Levi."

The omega pushed his ass back eagerly when he felt the tip of his alpha's cock pressing into him. Closing his eyes, Levi sighed in satisfaction as Erwin slowly filled him up. Levi wondered if it would ever stop feeling so amazing to feel the alpha's length drive into him for that first initial penetration. It was an odd relief every time, like his body was more complete when joined with Erwin.

Evidently, he wasn't alone in that assessment. Erwin's low murmur was breathless and passionate in Levi's ear. "God, every time is almost like the first. How did I ever go without you for so long?"

Levi bit his lip as Erwin withdrew slowly, then drove it back in. His length slid delightfully against that sweet spot inside of him, putting just the right amount of pressure on it. Levi reached down beneath the swell of his belly to start fondling himself as his alpha took him. Erwin's hand soon joined him, cupping beneath Levi's stroking hand to massage his balls and aid his pleasure.

Levi swore breathlessly, feeling that familiar tension in his pelvis already rising to the surface. It happened so quickly that he barely had time to brace for it, and he clenched his jaw on a moan.

"Already?" purred Erwin, nuzzling the omega's ear with a smile of satisfaction. He rotated his hips, stimulating Levi inside without mercy.

"Unh...hah... _hah_!" Levi couldn't hold back a mewl of pleasure as he came in his stroking hand. It shook him, and he squeezed the pillow with his other hand. Clenching rhythmically around the big dick inside of him, he let the orgasm take over his senses.

"Mmm, you're squeezing me so tight," approved Erwin.

He started thrusting again, gradually building up the pace. As always while Levi was pregnant, the alpha was careful not to get rough with him. That was almost maddening to Levi, because the omega instinctively wanted the other man to ram him. Erwin left off messaging his balls to cup Levi's hip firmly, slowing the omega's hip motions to prevent him from driving himself back too hard on his length.

"Easy, lover," cautioned Erwin softly. "Not too rough. I don't want to hurt either of you."

"Tease," accused Levi, catching his breath. He released his softening length, and he reached up and behind to cup the back of Erwin's head. Drawing the man's lips down to his own, Levi kissed him passionately. Erwin fondled his nipples, drawing a groan from the omega.

"I want to give you another one," announced Erwin in a breathy tone. "Several more, in fact."

Levi thought that was quite a goal to aspire to when he wasn't in heat, but Erwin had proven more than once in the past that he had a knack for making Levi come several times in a row before he finished with him. Tonight was no different. It didn't take very long for Levi to harden again, and he became steadily more vocal as his partner demonstrated his virility.

Twice more he came before Erwin reached his limit and filled him, his breath hot and heavy against Levi's ear. He didn't knot inside of him since he wasn't in rut, but the feel of his bucking length was gratifying enough to almost make Levi come again. Panting and kissing, the couple remained joined together after they were spent. In fact, they fell asleep like that with Erwin still inside of Levi, spooned up against him.

* * *

"Damn. Checkmate again?"

Eren scowled at the chess board he was playing on with Armin. He could beat Mikasa at a game about half the time, but he had yet to best their beta lover yet. Armin, to his credit, was never smug about winning the board. He smiled at Eren modestly, shrugging.

"You'll beat me some day, I'm sure."

"Doubt it," sighed the omega. He shifted in the cushioned chair he sat on, trying to get more comfortable. Since school was out for summer, Armin had a lot more free time to spend with him. That was definitely a bonus, because Levi was sleeping all the time now during the day. He didn't even emerge from his bedroom until well after sunset, and Eren would have been terribly bored and lonely if not for Armin and Lance.

"You've gotten really good at it, Eren," encouraged the blond, "but you're still a bit too predictable. You should try different strategies. Shake things up a little."

"Or I should stop playing against a tactical genius." Eren smirked, shrugging it off. Erwin was another one he couldn't beat at chess. Him and Armin both seemed to be experts at it, and he wondered how a match between them might turn out. They'd probably be going at it for hours without either of them getting an advantage over the other.

"If I were that much of a genius, I'd have come up with at least one name for the babies by now."

Eren spread his hands. "None of us have. I didn't realize picking out names would be such a challenge."

"Well, why don't we ask our hosts for some suggestions?" proposed the blond. "I'm sure they could come up with some ideas. We don't have much longer to pick something out, you know. Your due date is—"

Eren's eyes suddenly widened, and he interrupted Armin's sentence with a sharp gasp. He put both hands over his stomach, looking down at it suspiciously.

"Eren? What's the matter?" Armin had tensed in his seat, looking as though he was ready to vault out of it any second.

"I'm not sure," admitted the omega uncertainly. "It felt like something tightening. Like a dull muscle cramp."

Armin checked his watch and made note of the time. "Five o'seven pm. We need to remember that and time it if another one happens."

"You think it was a contraction?" Eren licked his lips nervously. It hadn't been bad; just a little uncomfortable. He knew from seeing Levi go through it in the past that it would get a lot worse, though.

"Let's not be too hasty," advised Armin. He was keeping his tone calm, but Eren saw his hand shake a little as he gathered up the chess pieces to store them under the table. "It could be a false contraction. That can happen at this stage in pregnancy, and I don't want to rush you off to the hospital just to have to turn around and come right back."

"I'd rather be at the hospital without needing to than end up waiting too long and having the babies on the way," Eren said frankly.

"I understand, but even if it was a true contraction, it could be hours before you're in full labor. Would you rather spend all that time in a hospital room, or here?"

The question gave Eren pause. He knew that once he got admitted, they probably weren't going to let him move around much and he'd be stuck there until he gave birth and recovered. He certainly wasn't in love with hospitals.

"Okay, we'll wait and see what happens," he agreed. "Shit, but if this is the day then our kids are going to come without having names! What are we going to call them? Baby one and baby two?"

"Try to stay calm," suggested Armin gently. "There's still time, and we don't know yet if it's really your time."

Eren gulped and nodded. Staying calm was easier said than done.

* * *

Erwin came home from work to find Armin and Eren sitting in the first floor living room. Armin was holding the dancer's hand in his, and they were both breathing in a rhythm that Erwin remembered doing himself with Levi. He stopped and stared at the couple, forgetting about putting up his briefcase as his suspicions arose.

"Good evening," said the alpha. "Are you two practicing, or...?"

Armin broke eye contact with Eren to look up at the taller blond. "No sir, I'm afraid this isn't practice. Eren's been having contractions, and I just called Mikasa. I think we're going to need to go to the hospital."

"Not yet," gasped Eren, shaking his head.

"Eren, you were just saying earlier that you didn't want to wait too long," reasoned Armin. "The contractions are coming closer together and getting more intense. I think it's safe to assume this is the real thing, and we can expect you to be in labor soon."

"But...we still don't have names for them," pleaded Eren. He looked up at Erwin with pain-glazed eyes. "Sir, can you think of any names? I don't want my kids to be born without one!"

Erwin fought back instinctive panic that always seemed to come in the face of seeing an omega or a woman getting ready to have a baby. He wracked his brain for ideas, reminding himself that Eren was carrying both a boy and a girl. He and Levi were having a girl this time themselves, and he blurted out the name he'd wanted to give to his daughter.

"How about Harper for the girl?"

Eren and Armin looked at each other, and both their eyes lit up.

"Harper," repeated Eren.

"I like it," said Armin. "Harper is a unique name. Let's use it, Eren!"

"What about a middle name?" Eren grunted, splaying his hands over his belly. "Another one..."

Armin timed it on his watch, reaching for Eren's hand again and breathing with him. Erwin stood by silently, mentally counting the seconds in his head even as he imagined himself getting slain by his spouse for offering their daughter's name up to someone else.

The moments ticked by, and Eren's rapid breaths finally slowed. "It's over now."

Armin picked up a glass of water that was sitting on the coffee table, and he gave it to Eren to sip on. "We can think up middle names for the babies later, Eren. It can be added to their birth certificate another time if necessary. Right now, let's try and decide on a boy name and get you ready to go."

"I'll try and rouse Levi," offered Erwin. "He's going to want to be there as soon as it's dark enough for him to leave."

* * *

"Levi? Wake up, love."

The vampire mumbled and rolled over onto his side. He could no longer sleep on his stomach, and that was one of the most frustrating things about being in the final trimester. "'m sleeping. Leave me alone."

"I'm sorry to wake you, but Eren is going to have his babies. I thought you'd want to know."

That got Levi's attention. He cracked an eye open to look up at his spouse, bent over and hovering over him. "What, right _now_?"

Erwin sat down on the edge of the bed and helped Levi to sit up. "Not right this minute, but Armin just loaded him up into the car to take him to be admitted. Mikasa is meeting up with them and Hange is on her way to the clinic. His contractions are seven minutes apart now, so it may not be a very long wait."

"Shit." Levi struggled out from under the covers, and he got out of the bed. Waddling his way over to the closet, he started picking out something to change into. "Should have told me the minute the contractions started."

"It wouldn't have done any good. All that you could have done is sit there with him and wait. You needed your rest."

"Kid's probably shitting his pants right now...or he _would_ be if omegas could still shit at this stage in pregnancy. I promised him I'd be there when the brats come."

"And you _will_ be," soothed Erwin. He got out a pair of underwear and some fresh chest padding for Levi. "You just can't go right this minute. The sun hasn't finished setting yet."

Levi took off his pajamas and started changing into the maternity slacks and shirt he'd picked out. "Where's Lance?"

"Finishing his dinner downstairs," answered Erwin. "I told him that he could stay the night with his friend Ricky, and the boy's parents are on their way to pick him up for us."

Levi breathed a little easier. "Thanks. Damn, I hate being so limited. Why couldn't it wait for dark to start?"

"Levi, you know that Eren could be in labor for a good while before those babies come," reminded the blond. "You may have to return home before they arrive, if it goes on all through the night."

"I didn't think of that. Well, if the sun starts coming up and Eren still hasn't popped them out, I can stay with the blinds drawn and come home after sunset."

Erwin frowned. "I don't think that's such a good idea. You're going to need somewhere to lie down and rest, and there may not be suitable accommodation there for you."

"Hange'll make sure I have somewhere to lay down if I need it," insisted Levi. "I'm not gonna abandon Eren after I swore to be there with him. He's scared to death of hospitals, even now. Gotta help him feel safe so he doesn't have a panic attack and hurt himself."

"He'll have his partners there with him," sighed Erwin. "You can't always be there for him, Levi. I'm sure Eren knows and understands that."

"I've got to try. No more arguments, blondie."

"Very well," came the soft reply. "But if you intend to stay through the entire affair, I'm staying as well. You may need my blood."

Levi shrugged. That much was true, though he was sure Hange could provide him with a pint or two if it came down to it. When he finished putting his padding on and doing up his shirt, he noticed his spouse eyeing him with a curiously guilty look on his comely face. Levi paused and tilted his head. "What?"

"You're not going to be happy with me," stated the alpha.

Levi narrowed his eyes on him. "What did you do this time, old man?"

Erwin sighed, and his jaw tensed briefly. "I...accidentally gave away our daughter's name."

"Huh?" Levi's nose wrinkled like he smelled a fart. "What does that mean? How do you accidentally give away a name?"

"Eren and company didn't have names picked out for their babies yet," explained Erwin. "Perhaps they thought that had enough time to come up with something, but since Eren is having contractions now, he was desperate for ideas. He and Armin asked me for suggestions, and the first name that sprang to my mind was the one we'd planned on giving to our unborn."

"Great," snapped Levi. "Any chance we can come up with something else to suggest and take our name back?"

"I'm sorry, Levi. They both really liked the name Harper, and I didn't have the heart to try and take it back. They don't know it was the name we'd picked out for our own daughter, or I'm sure they wouldn't have accepted. I just froze and couldn't bring myself to go back on it when I saw how much they liked it."

Levi bit his lip. Well, he could tell Eren himself that name was supposed to be reserved for his kid, but then he'd have to deal with seeing Eren disappointed. He was irritated; not just at Erwin for so thoughtlessly giving that name away, but with Eren and his partners for waiting so long to pick something out themselves.

"Who the hell waits until the last minute to name their fucking kid?" he groused. "Never mind, it's Eren. The brat never thinks things through right."

"A quality that I apparently share with him," murmured Erwin, still looking contrite. "Can you forgive me?"

Levi huffed. For all the man's commanding presence and sensual charm, Erwin could be kind of boyish when he felt bad about something. "I guess we can think up something else. We've still got a few weeks to go."

Erwin went to him, and he bent over to kiss Levi on the forehead. "Thank you for not killing me."

* * *

Eren tried to be a good patient, tried not to flinch as Hange started him on a fluid drip and gave him something to take the edge off the pain. His teeth were chattering from a combination of anxiety and pain. The medication didn't seem to do much for him. Levi wasn't there yet, and Eren reminded himself that the older omega had to wait to leave the house. Mikasa arrived shortly after they got Eren set up in his room, and she hurried to his side.

"Breathe through it," she encouraged when another contraction hit Eren. She briefly met Armin's eyes across the distance from his spot on the other side of the bed. He had one of Eren's hands, and she took the other one. "That's it, Eren. It's okay to yell if you need to. You don't have to put on a brave face for us."

He choked back a sob, his body trembling and his back aching from the contraction. He looked down at Hange when she went to the foot of his bed and lifted up the sheets and his gown to check on his progress.

"H-how is it, Miss Hange?"

"Well, you haven't started dilating yet," she announced. She tucked the sheet back up around him, and she gave him a compassionate look. "This is just the beginning, kiddo. Be brave, Eren. Moblit and I are going to make sure you're well taken care of. You just have to let nature do its thing and try to bear with it."

"What if it takes too long?" he asked. "Isn't that dangerous for the babies?"

"I won't lie to you, dear; it can be dangerous for the mother _and_ child if labor goes on for too long. It can put too much of a strain on your heart. We aren't going to let it come to that, though. If your water doesn't break by morning, we'll do it manually. If you don't dilate enough to give natural birth, then we'll consider a C-section. I'd rather use that as a last resort, though."

"Okay." He struggled to be brave, tried to remind himself that this place was safe and nobody was going to subject him to experiments or do surgery on him against his will. He wished, however, that he'd put more thought into the option of having a home birth. He was originally going to do that, but after Levi invited him and his partners to come and stay with them, Eren changed his mind. He didn't want to ask his mentor if he could give birth in his house, not with Levi being such a germaphobe.

The door leading to the hallway opened, and Levi came in just as Hange was getting ready to leave the room. Eren sat up a little straighter in the bed, immediately comforted by the older omega's presence. Levi asked Hange a low question, to which she answered just as softly. Eren couldn't make out what they said, but he guessed they were talking about his current stage of progression. Erwin came in behind his spouse, carrying with him a pillow and a throw from their house.

"Levi, that couch over there by the window folds down," Hange informed, pointing at the piece of furniture. "Feel free to use it if you need to lie down. I'll bring some sheets in to cover it up for you."

"Thanks, Hange." Levi walked over to the bed, and he stood at the foot of it. "How are you holding up, brat?"

"Hurts," confessed Eren, "but I'm glad you're here."

Levi nodded, folding his arms over his chest. "Just remember it's not gonna last forever. When it's over with, you'll be surprised by how easy it is to forget the pain. Have you three come up with a name for the boy, yet?"

Eren blinked. He'd gotten so caught up in his contractions and fears that he'd forgotten their son still didn't have a name. "Oh shit. Um, guys?"

"Damon," Mikasa stated. "Let's name him Damon Alexander. It came to me all the sudden while I was on my way here."

"Yeah, Damon Alexander," sighed Eren with relief. He relaxed as the contraction faded, savoring the short respite. "I like that. We need a middle name for the girl, too. We're going with Harper as her first name, thanks to Mr. Smith's suggestion."

"That's pretty," approved Mikasa. She lowered her gaze with a frown. "I'm drawing a blank on a middle name that could go with that, though."

Levi exchanged a quick look with Erwin. "Maybe you could come up with a different first name, then. Hange says it's going to be a while, so you've got some time to brainstorm."

"But I really like Harper," protested Eren. "I'm sure we can think of something."

Hange overheard on her way out the door, and she stopped. "What about Jane for a middle name? That was my mother's first name."

Eren tasted the name on his tongue, and he found it to his liking. "Yeah! That goes good together."

"Harper Jane Jaeger." Armin nodded. "It's nice."

Levi almost looked disappointed, and Eren watched him curiously. "You don't think it sounds good, Levi?"

"Sounds great," answered Levi shortly. "I'm going to go and get you some ice chips to suck on. Be back in a minute."

Eren couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, but he had no idea what. Erwin went with his mate, and Eren could hear the alpha apologize to Levi for some reason. Maybe the two of them had gotten into an argument on their way to the hospital. He shrugged it off and tried to brace himself for the next contraction; which was due in a minute or so if the timing stayed consistent.

* * *

"It's not your fault they came up with the same middle name too," Levi told Erwin as he filled the cup at the ice machine. "How the hell were either of us supposed to know Hange's mom just happened to have the same first name as the one we picked out for a middle name, or that she'd suggest it to Eren? We're just going to have to go with one of the other choices on our list."

"I just can't believe it," sighed Erwin. "First I give away our first choice for the given name, and then Hange gives away the middle."

Levi shrugged. "I'm not as upset about the middle name as I was about losing the first name. We could still use Jane ourselves, just not Harper."

An idea came to Erwin, then. "Wait, Levi. What if we don't have to give up either name?"

The omega gave him an exasperated look. "So what? Both me and Eren have daughters with the exact same names? Do you have any idea how confusing that's going to be for everyone? We'll have to assign them numbers or something when they're both around."

"Or nicknames, but that isn't my idea. We can still use both Harper and Jane, just not in the order originally intended. Instead of Harper Jane, let's reverse it and call her Jane Harper."

Levi's expression softened. "Oh, I get it." He sighed and looked down blankly at the cup of ice in his hand. "But that's going to make it look like we're copying from Eren."

"Not necessarily," countered Erwin. This was a stroke of genius, if he did say so himself. "We can just be honest with Eren. I'll tell him I wasn't thinking clearly and just wanted to ease his distress when I suggested the name we intended to use for our daughter. The middle name was just a crazy coincidence. Besides, I think it would be rather cute for the girls to have mirrored names, especially if they come to be good friends growing up together."

By the look on his face and the resonant feelings Erwin was picking up from him through their link, Levi found the idea appealing. He waited with anticipation, hoping his suggestion had redeemed him somewhat for his careless mistake.

"I'll talk to Eren about it after he has the kids and recovers enough to hold a decent conversation," decided Levi at last. "It's an interesting idea, at least."

"Great." Erwin smiled, some of his guilty feelings salved by the possible solution. Levi had been the one to come up with the name Harper, and Erwin felt like he'd just pawned the omega's favorite cross by offering the name to someone else. He bent over to kiss his spouse on the lips. "I think this can work out."

* * *

Harper Jane arrived first, after several hours of grueling labor. They almost resorted to breaking Eren's water for him when the sun started to rise, and just when Hange was setting up the instruments to do so, it finally happened on its own. The birthing happened much faster, after that. Eren barely had time to hold his newly born, swaddled daughter before the second round of labor struck him. He got the chance to see that she had brown hair the exact shade of Eren's, and blue eyes like Armin. After that, he had to relinquish her to Hange to be put away in the crib. Damon Alexander took another two hours to be born, and he had Mikasa's black hair and Eren's green eyes.

It was a long and painful ordeal to go through, but Levi was right. Once Eren finished bringing his kids into the world and clearing the afterbirth, he hardly thought about how much he'd struggled. Exhausted but massively relieved that it was over with, he slept for a while, until it was time to try feeding the babies. He hated to listen to one of them cry while he took care of the other, but he couldn't nurse them both at the same time without risking dropping one of them.

Armin did his best to comfort Damon while Eren nursed Harper for the first time. The omega had a moment of panic when his baby couldn't seem to latch on properly, but then Levi showed him the best way to do it and that did the trick. Before long, both infants had their fill of milk and were content for a while. Mikasa and Armin took turns with each of them, having agreed that everyone in the family needed a parent/child bond regardless of who sired who.

Levi was obviously too exhausted to stay awake any longer, and Erwin got him tucked in on the folded-down couch so that he could get some sleep. He stayed out cold all day long, even sleeping through it when the babies were brought in crying. Eren fed them again as quickly as he could, worried they would disturb his friend's much-needed rest. When Levi awoke again, Eren was dozing off in the bed.

"Oi, you awake?"

Eren's eyes fluttered open to look up at the smaller omega. "Hey. What time is it?"

"It's going on eight pm," answered the vampire. He pulled up one of the visitor chairs, and he sat down. "Everyone else went to get something to eat. I guess they're supposed to bring you dinner soon, too. I want to talk to you about something first though, while it's just you and me in here."

Eren raised the head of his bed a little. "Okay. What's on your mind?"

Levi sighed, and he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "This is gonna sound crazy, but I'm just going to come out and say it. Erwin gave you the name we were supposed to be giving to _our_ daughter. The stupid idiot panicked when you were worrying about what to name yours, so he just opened his big mouth and said the first name he thought of."

Eren's mouth dropped open a little. "Oh. Oh, damn, I had no idea, Levi! I...I guess if you want it back, it's not too late to change it."

"No, I'm not going to ask you to do that. It'd be a shitty thing to do."

Eren grimaced, relieved to get to keep the name, yet feeling guilty. "But I feel like I've stolen it from you, now."

"No, Erwin did." Levi smirked. "And if you can believe this, Hange stole the middle name we were going to use, too. It's like some cosmic joke on us or something."

"So you were going to name your daughter Harper Jane too?" Now Eren felt even worse. "I'm so sorry, Levi. Man, that's an awful coincidence."

"It's okay. I've got a suggestion that could fix everything, if you're up for it. Me and Erwin will just name our kid Jane Harper. We can both keep the names. What do you think?"

"Wow, I wouldn't have thought of that." Eren smiled. "That's a pretty cool idea. I can just see our daughters being besties and imagine the looks on people's faces when they hear their names."

"Erwin said something similar." Levi shrugged. "He's the one that came up with the idea. I was too pissed off at him to consider something like that."

"Well if you guys are okay with it, then so am I," said Eren. "I should talk to Armin and Mikasa about it, but I don't think they'll have a problem with it. Especially when I tell them what happened."

"Let's hope so." Levi covered up a yawn. He started to get up, but then he went pale and immediately sank back down into the chair. "Shit."

"Levi? You okay?" Eren watched him with wide, worried eyes. He started trying to get up when his friend put a hand to his forehead. He winced as the activity caused him pain, still tender under the packing they'd put in his underwear after he gave birth.

"I'm...gonna pass out," announced the vampire faintly, and then he fell right out of the chair and sprawled onto the floor.

"Levi! Oh shit, Levi!" Eren struggled out of bed, while at the same time pushing the call button for a nurse.

"I need someone to get in here," Eren yelled when a woman's voice inquired over the intercom. "My friend's sick and he just collapsed!"

* * *

Erwin stepped out of the elevator holding congratulations balloons in one hand. He was in a much better mood now, even though he hadn't slept a wink for over twenty-four hours. With luck, Levi had the chance to talk to Eren and the whole name fiasco could be put behind them. He'd gone on ahead of Mikasa and Armin, who were probably still down in the gift shop trying to decide on something for Eren.

As Erwin approached the maternity wing, the spring in his footsteps faded. Up ahead of him, he could see someone being wheeled down the hall on a gurney. He saw the raven hair of the patient first, thought he was surely mistaken. Then he got a look at the pale face partly obscured by the oxygen mask they'd strapped onto it, and he let go of his balloons.

Erwin ran towards the gurney, nearly knocking a passing doctor down in his haste. Hange came out from around the corner of another hallway, and she ordered the nurses to take Levi to a specific room. Erwin caught up with them, and he squeezed Levi's foot anxiously.

"What happened?" demanded the blond. It looked like his mate was hardly breathing, and there were dark smudges under Levi's eyes the color of bruises. He almost looked dead.

"I'm about to find out for sure," Hange told him. "Eren called for help from his recovery room a little while ago. He said it started out as a dizzy spell, and Levi fell out of his chair. I'm going to check him for any damage he might have sustained from the fall, and then I'll look into what caused this collapse. It could be low blood pressure."

Erwin closed his eyes briefly. Hange could only say so much in mixed company, which was probably why she was having Levi transported to a room for private examination. Levi had drank a pint while Eren was still in labor, but that might not have been enough for him.

Erwin followed them into the room Hange directed them too, and he stood at his spouse's side as Hange shooed the nurses out and closed the door. She locked the door, and she started setting up an IV drip.

"Moblit will bring blood for a transfusion," Hange assured Erwin as she rolled Levi's sleeve up to prep him. "I didn't want to have someone else do it, because it might raise questions as to why I'd order a transfusion before confirmation of any blood loss."

"I understand." Erwin kept his eyes on Levi's unconscious features, and he stroked the omega's hair. Unreasonably, he felt like he was to blame for this. Had he not screwed up and upset Levi by giving away their daughter's intended name, this might not have happened.

"Boss, I need you to step back a little," Hange instructed. "Give me a little more room, dear."

He did as she asked, watching as Hange unbuttoned Levi's shirt to begin putting vital monitors on him. She put some on his belly as well, and she turned on the machine.

"Okay, that second, faster heartbeat is the baby's," Hange explained. "Hers sounds healthy and strong, thank goodness. Levi's is a bit weak and slow, however."

Erwin tried to work some moisture into his mouth. There was nothing he could do except stand back and let Hange do her work. She was really the only one he trusted to treat his spouse. She'd saved Levi's life before, and he prayed she could do so again if it came to that.

"Dr. Zoë," announced Moblit as he unlocked the door and came in bearing a portable cooler. "I've got the blood you asked for."

"Perfect," she said, lifting one of Levi's eyelids to shine a pen light into them. "Get him started on a pint, and we'll give him more as needed. Hmm, I'm not getting any pupillary response. He's slipped into a coma."

There it was; the thing that Erwin had been dreading to hear since finding out Levi was expecting. He sank down on a stool by the cabinets, and he put his head into his hands. "Please," he whispered. "Not this. Not again."

* * *

-To be continued


	38. Chapter 38

"Did you guys hear? Mikasa's got twins!" Connie pumped a fist in the air. "How about that for some procreation, huh?"

"I'm sure Eren was thrilled to have two babies coming out of him," stated Nanaba dryly, "but I'm glad to hear the birth went okay."

Mike came out of his office, and he approached the group. "Meeting's cancelled. Everyone just concentrate on collections today. We'll reschedule."

Seeing the grim look on the big alpha's face, Connie frowned. "You've been stressing how major important this meeting was for our earnings, boss. What gives?"

"Erwin's mate is in a coma."

Nanaba's eyes widened. "What? How? When?"

Mike shrugged. "I'm not sure of the details. Boss sounded like a mess over the phone. Said he won't be able to make it, so I just cancelled." Technically, Erwin wasn't Mike's boss any longer, but the latter hadn't gotten over the habit of referring to him that way.

"Damn, that sucks," Dita remarked. "Didn't something like this happen the last time that little guy was pregnant?"

"Yeah, it did." Connie nodded. "He got real sick at their engagement party. Bummer."

"It sounds like someone should be taking a hint," said Oluo with a casual shrug. "If he had so much trouble with the first one, they shouldn't be having this one."

"Some people want children enough to risk it, even if they're prone to complications." Nanaba gave Oluo a warning look. " _You_ need to keep your thoughts about that to yourself around Erwin, the next time you see him. I'm sure he has enough on his plate without your criticism."

"I'm just using the voice of reason," defended Oluo. "Obviously Levi has some plumbing issues they should have thought about before trying for this kid."

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Now the blond woman was looking like she was ready to deck her colleague. "Other people's reproductive decisions aren't your business, least of all Erwin Smith's. He might not be running the syndicate anymore, but he still deserves all of our respect, and he's still above you."

"All right guys, don't get into it again," pacified Ness when the two of them started facing off. "Business doesn't quit because someone's having a crisis, and the best we can do for the chief is to keep doing our jobs and give him whatever support we can. I'm going to stop by the hospital on my rounds today. Boss, which one are they at?"

"Where else?" asked Mike with a shrug. "Hange's clinic."

"Oh yeah." Dita shook his head at his own lapse. "I just wondered if they had to rush him to some other emergency room."

"No, he was there with Eren Jaeger while he was in labor. That's all I could get out of Erwin when we spoke."

Nanaba's angry expression softened. "The poor man. This must be devastating him. He loves Levi so much."

"Yeah, and he could lose his kid, too," sighed Connie. "I guess I'd better pick up some 'get well' stuff."

"You may want to save it and get ready for 'condolences' stuff instead," muttered Oluo grimly.

"Would you just shut the fuck up?" Nanaba barked.

Mike put his hands on his girlfriend's shoulders, both to calm her and to hold her back. "Let's clear out. Like Dita said: business doesn't stop. I'm going to stop by the hospital and see if Erwin needs me to bring him anything."

"What about his son?" Nanaba asked. "Who's taking care of Lance?"

"Petra's going to pick him up from a friend's house later and bring him to the hospital, so that's covered."

"Well, that's a relief," she sighed. "I didn't know if the boy was there when it happened or not. I can just imagine how scary that would have been for him if he had. Maybe Erwin shouldn't let him see Levi in this condition."

"You know Lance is going to demand to see his papa," Dita pointed out. "Trying to keep it from him won't help anything, especially if..." He sighed. "I hate to say it, but if Levi doesn't pull out of this, the kid is going to need to be prepared."

Oluo nodded. "My thoughts exactly."

"He's not dead yet," Mike reminded them. "Save that talk for now, especially around Erwin."

* * *

Erwin hadn't moved from his spot in the chair by Levi's bed since Hange got him set up in a private room. He stared down at his ailing mate, willing him to open his eyes and say something—anything—to him. An insult, a shit joke, a witty remark...Erwin would take any of it over this utter silence. He drew a shivering breath, and he rested his hand over the swell of Levi's abdomen. He felt the baby stir under his palm, and that gave him at least a little comfort. She was all right, for now. Whether she continued to be so depended on her papa's will to fight.

"Don't you give up," whispered Erwin to his omega. "I swear to you, I will never pressure you to have more children again. Just don't leave us. We need you. I...need you..."

Erwin ended up lowering his forehead to Levi's chest, and his shoulders started to shake. He couldn't hold back his tears, but somehow he managed to weep silently. He jerked back upright and composed himself quickly when he heard a knock at the door. Wiping his eyes hastily with his sleeve, he turned in his seat.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Petra came in holding Lance's hand. The boy immediately squirmed free of her hold, and he called out to Erwin and ran to him. Erwin got out of his chair, and he knelt down to scoop his son up into his arms. He picked him up and held him for a moment, wishing he could have protected him from this.

"Daddy, is Papa going to die?"

The question broke Erwin's heart, and he had to swallow before answering. "No. We aren't going to let him, Lance. He's just very sick and weak. He needs our strength and our faith in him."

Lance climbed down as Erwin bent over, and the child got into the chair so he could see Levi better. When he got a good look at the omega's pallor, the child sniffled. He was obviously trying to hold back his tears and be brave. He put a small hand over Levi's nearest one, and he spoke to the comatose vampire.

"You can have _all_ my strength, Papa. Take all of it you need, just don't leave us."

Erwin took a deep breath, fearful that he might start blubbering right there in front of his son and Petra. He felt a soft touch on his shoulder, and he turned to regard the petite ginger dancer.

"Thank you for bringing him," whispered Erwin. "I debated with myself over it, but my hope is that Levi can hear our son's voice and draw strength from it."

Petra nodded, her amber gaze shining with sympathy. She looked like she was about to cry, too. "They say it's good for coma patients to hear their loved-ones voices. I think you made the right decision, Mr. Smith."

"Please, just call me Erwin," he corrected. "I think we've been friends for long enough to be on a first-name basis, by now."

"Yes," she agreed, forcing a little smile. "It's habit. May I?"

Erwin looked at Levi as she gestured at him, and he nodded. "Go ahead. Hearing his friends may help him as well."

Petra approached the bed on Levi's other side, and she stroked his hair. "Levi, everyone's thinking of you. They've even brought in and lit candles at the club. We all want you to get through this and wake up, okay? You've still got a baby to bring into the world so I can dote on her."

That made Erwin smile the slightest bit, even as it filled him with a sense of tragedy. For Levi to make it this far without any major episodes only to suffer this now felt like a cruel and foreboding twist of fate. He wondered if he would ever hear his omega speak his name again, either in annoyance or in passion.

* * *

"Eren, you have to stop worrying yourself sick," chided Mikasa as she took away the vomit pan. This was the third time he'd thrown up since Levi's collapse, and he had no appetite. She and Armin practically had to hand feed him the mashed potatoes the staff had brought to him for dinner, and he didn't even get those fully digested before he got sick again. Armin was taking care of Harper's blood needs by pricking his fingers with a lancing device normally used for testing blood sugar, but it was up to Eren to take care of other nutritional needs.

"If you don't eat right, your milk will dry up and we'll have to switch to formula," Mikasa went on. She wiped off his face for him, and she kissed him on the cheek. "Please try to stay calm and take care of yourself. Levi wouldn't want you making yourself ill."

"But he made himself ill trying to take care of me," Eren said angrily. "I shouldn't have been such a wimp. I shouldn't have begged him to be here with me. He should have been home resting instead of stressing himself out over me."

"It was Levi's choice to come here," reminded Mikasa. "He wanted to be by your side, because he's a good friend. He thinks of you like a little brother."

Armin came back in with a cup of juice, and he overheard the last part. "Eren think about it; this could have happened no matter what. Isn't it better that it happened here where Levi has immediate medical care than at home? His uncle Kenny could have only done so much to help him on his own. Levi could be dead right now, if this had happened over there."

"Yeah, but..." Eren sighed, shaking his head. "I just feel like being in this environment without a comfortable bed or his own food supply had something to do with it. Plus there was the whole thing with the name, and he was pretty upset about that."

"We've got that problem solved," assured Armin, "and we can tell him as soon as he wakes up. What you need to focus on is yourself and the babies right now, because there's nothing you can do for Levi."

"I know you're right," whispered Eren. He took the juice offered to him by Armin, and he sipped at it gingerly. "I just hate feeling so helpless."

Mikasa retrieved the brush she'd packed for him, and she started running it through Eren's tangled hair. "I know it's a terrible feeling. Just remember how protective Levi is of you, and what he'd think if he knew you were doing this to yourself."

"He'd probably kick my ass," muttered the dancer.

"Probably," Mikasa agreed with a little smile. She looked to Armin. "Has anyone come to visit?"

"Yes, I ran into Kenny in the hallway, in fact. He said he's waiting on Lance to finish his visit before going in himself. Petra's here too, but she's with Hange right now."

"Has Hange had any sleep?" Eren's concern shifted to the doctor. "I don't think she's left this place since we got here."

"She has a break room she naps in," explained Armin. "I know it looks like she's been everywhere at once, but Moblit assured me she's been getting 'power naps' and she's used to broken sleep."

"Well, that's something, at least," sighed Eren. "I'd hate to have her passing out too, on top of everything else."

"I'm sure between Petra and Moblit, she's getting plenty of reminders to get rest," guessed Mikasa. She was a bit concerned too, though. Hange slept less than any human Mikasa had ever known. Maybe even less than most vampires. How the woman kept functioning under such conditions was a puzzle.

* * *

"Uuughh, I am _so tired_!"

Hange collapsed on her sleeping gurney, making it bump against the wall. Petra stood over her with a concerned look on her pretty face, and she stroked the alpha woman's back.

"You're giving too much of yourself and not leaving anything left over for you. Sleep for a while, Hange. I can wake you up in an hour if you want."

Hange levered herself up on her elbows, shaking her head. "No, I've got to check on Levi again."

"I was just in there. Nothing's changed, and I doubt it will in an hour." Petra pushed the bigger woman back down with a grunt of effort as Hange rolled and tried to get back up. "Have Moblit check on him if you absolutely have to, okay? You have _got_ to get more sleep."

"But Levi might need—"

"No," interrupted Petra sternly. "There's nothing you can get for Levi right now that Moblit or a nurse can't. What Levi needs the most is for his doctor to not drive herself into the grave for lack of sleep! If his condition does get worse, he's going to need you. Until then you should rest."

Hange sighed, and she rolled onto her side while Petra took her glasses off for her. She looked up at the omega female with bloodshot, half-lidded eyes as Petra put the glasses in a case for her.

"I just want to make sure that baby gets born," mumbled Hange. "I want to put it in Levi's arms and watch his little face light up. You know, that was the most unguarded I'd ever seen the pipsqueak, the day Lance was born and Levi held him for the first time."

Petra smiled at her wife. "I know. I can only imagine what it must feel like to hold your little one for the first time and know that you made this tiny person with someone you love. It must be an amazing feeling."

Hange got a tender, sad look on her face. "I would give anything to see you experience that, my dear. Right now, the best I can do is try and make sure our friends get the chance to do it again."

"I'll experience it through them," whispered Petra, "and we still have time to experience it ourselves, some day."

"Not the way you just described it," Hange murmured unhappily. "Not one you and I made together."

"I've come to terms with that. I would love any baby we had together, even if I wasn't the one to give birth to it." She bent over to kiss Hange's hair. "Now sleep, you stubborn thing. I'll make sure Moblit checks in on Levi for you."

* * *

Knowing that Levi would kill him if Erwin let Kenny babysit Lance on his own, Erwin decided to allow Petra to bring their son home with her for a while. Mike brought him some clothes and a few other things from the house, as Erwin refused to leave the hospital. Visitors came and went over the next couple of days, and soon Levi's room was filled with flower arrangements, various gift baskets and greeting cards.

Eren got released, and he stopped by Levi's room to see him before he left. He and his partners agreed to pick up Lance from Petra's house and bring him back to the Smith household with them, so his concerns over who would watch his son were abated. With school being out for the summer, Armin would be able to help Eren with the kids during the day. Kenny returned to his apartment, but he told Erwin to let him know when Levi woke up and got released, and he would come back and stay again until the baby came.

The days seemed to go by at a crawl, with no changes in Levi's condition one way or the other. They gave him blood transfusions daily, including what Erwin himself donated. The blond worked from the hospital, mostly sticking to conference calls and using his laptop. Seeing as he wasn't a lawyer himself, most of Erwin's responsibilities were in setting up clients with legal representation. This made video calls a life saver.

As he waited for any sign of hope, Erwin thought about the Ackerman family history. He wondered if there was anyone in the world that knew of a way to reverse vampirism. Erwin started having crazed thoughts of sending people searching for anyone they could find from the Ackerman vampire clan that might have some knowledge that could save Levi.

It was Hange that talked some sense into him when he talked to her about the idea, late one night.

"Erwin, I understand how you feel. It makes sense that you would want to explore options to cure Levi's vampirism. You're hoping it would bring him out of this coma and let him finish carrying this pregnancy more safely, right?"

Erwin nodded. "That's my theory. Wouldn't you agree it's a sound one?"

She looked at her patient thoughtfully. "It does sound good in theory, but I don't know about in practice. Assuming we could even find some cure for his vampirism, we don't know what that might do to him or the baby. He's been living on blood alone for the past what, four months? His biology would change, and he could end up severely malnourished because of it. Not only that, but this child he's carrying would also be at risk. His dietary needs have been based on what the baby needs. Change that, and he could lose her, even if he doesn't suffer adverse effects."

Erwin looked at his mate, frowning. He put his hand on Levi's belly. It was utterly still. "I haven't felt her kick lately. Not one movement."

Hange frowned as well, and she checked the monitors. "Her heartbeat is a little weaker tonight than it was yesterday, now that you mention it. That's gives me some cause for concern."

"Is she dying?" Erwin met Hange's eyes, tensing up. For one brief, horrible moment, he'd wondered if he could sacrifice his child to save his spouse. It made him sick to his stomach, and now he wondered if little Jane wasn't destined to be born at all.

"Let's not jump to rash conclusions," cautioned Hange. "I'll have ultrasound equipment brought in here, and we'll run some tests. We've been giving Levi plenty of blood, so a lack of nutrients shouldn't be the problem. It could be that her heart has slowed down a bit because her father's been so inactive. We'll find out, okay?"

Erwin nodded, and he couldn't turn off his thoughts. If they lost the baby, how the hell would he break the news to Levi when and if he woke up? How would he himself handle the loss?

"Do whatever it takes, Hange. Keep them both alive."

* * *

"He's losing the baby."

Erwin stared at her with an openly stunned expression on his face, and Hange cursed herself for her lack of bedside manners. She tried to explain it in a more gentle way, unwilling to give up just yet.

"Or rather, he's going to lose the baby if this goes on for much longer," Hange corrected. "The blood isn't enough to sustain them both, and keeping Levi on oxygen isn't helping the baby. She's in an environment that's failing to support her. After studying the ultrasounds, I've determined that Levi's womb is shrinking around her."

The blank look he gave her came as no surprise. "How can it be shrinking? He's near the end of his pregnancy, so shouldn't it keep expanding to a point to make room for the baby to grow to full size?"

"Yes, but that's not the case here. In a manner of speaking, it's collapsing. I think the coma triggered something in Levi's brain, and now it thinks there's no pregnancy...or that he's already given birth. His body is picking up on that signal and trying to return back to its pre-pregnancy state. It's re-absorbing amniotic fluid. The womb is shrinking just like it would post-childbirth."

"Are you telling me that Levi's body is trying to kill our baby?" Erwin's voice was tense with disbelief.

Hange took a deep breath, and she nodded. "That's the gist of it. I think his body is trying to re-absorb the baby, which is what generally happens in some cases of spontaneous abortion. Unless we can induce labor or perform a cesarean, Levi's either going to miscarry or cannibalize his own baby."

"God almighty," groaned Erwin. He took a seat on the chair by his mate's bed. "This can't be happening."

"I'm afraid it is, sweetheart." Hange rubbed the blond's shoulder. "I'm sorry to bring more hardship on you, but we do have options. We may be able to save this baby, but I need you to decide what you want done and sign some consent forms."

Erwin seemed to take a moment to collect himself, and then he looked up at her. "All right. How would you induce labor?"

"We would have to wake him up to ensure success. His body can only do so much on reflexes alone, so Levi would need to be awake to push."

"You can wake him up and you didn't tell me?" Now Erwin looked dangerously upset.

"I can _try_ ," Hange corrected. "There isn't a guarantee that it will work, and I didn't want to even attempt it because the medication is dangerous. It can cause brain bleeds in humans and I don't even know what it could do to a vampire. Taking this option wouldn't be my first choice because of the gamble factor."

"So then you'd recommend the c-section?"

Hange nodded. "Surgery comes with its own risks, but I think that's the best chance Levi and the baby have. She'll be premature if she survives, but we can put her in an incubator and I have enough knowledge of vampire physiology now to give her a fighting chance. I'm also hopefully optimistic that ending Levi's pregnancy will help his system balance out again, and he'll come out of his coma on his own."

"But you can't promise that," reasoned Erwin.

"No. At this point, I can't promise you anything." Hange sighed, and she squeezed Levi's unresponsive hand. "This could be an 'all or nothing' scenario, Erwin. However, if we don't do anything, you'll definitely lose this baby. Levi will probably regain consciousness afterwards, so we can either risk the c-section or just wait."

"And lose my daughter for certain."

Hange turned to face the blond again, and she felt her eyes burn with the threat of tears. "Again, I'm sorry."

"No father should have to make this choice," Erwin murmured. "No husband, for that matter. People have to every day though, don't they? They choose between life and death for their loved ones, pull the chord or keep them on life support. That's almost what you're asking me to do."

"But when you remove life support, the result is always the same," reasoned Hange. "At least you have an option that might not result in death for anyone. It has to be your decision though, Erwin. Levi can't make it himself, so you have power of attorney."

Erwin heaved a broken sigh. "Give me some time alone with him, please. I have to think about this."

"Sure." Hange bit her lip, hating to have to put him through this. "Just don't take too long, Erwin. The clock is ticking and the longer we wait, the riskier it gets."

* * *

Erwin made his decision after agonizing over it for nearly an hour. He caressed his omega's cheek as he spoke to him, hoping with all his heart that he was making the right choice. If not, then he prayed that Levi would forgive him.

"I wish you could open your eyes and talk to me, even for a moment," Erwin told his spouse. "I wish you could tell me for yourself what you would want."

But then, he already knew what Levi would want. Being pair-bonded and married to the man for almost eight years had left little room for secrets between them. All that Erwin could do now was wait and hope. He bent over to place a loving kiss on the omega's still, chapped lips. To think that something which started out as a purely physical indulgence had become his foundation, his very reason for breathing.

"I can't lose you," whispered Erwin.

* * *

He was cold. He was hurting. He was confused. He tried to open his eyes, and he found that he couldn't. He tried to move his limbs, but they were so heavy that all he could do was flop his arms weakly.

"Where...what is this?"

"Doctor, he's awake."

Levi turned his head blindly in the direction of the vaguely familiar voice, and then he heard another voice that he definitely recognized.

"Levi, are you with us? Can you nod your head?"

He tried. Even that effort cost him. His neck muscles were stiff. It felt like he'd been in bed for a week, but he knew he wasn't in his own bed. "Han...Hange?" Levi tried to reach up, tried to take the tape off of his eyelids.

"No, not yet honey," came the mafia doctor's voice. "It's too bright in here. I've got your eyes covered up to protect them. Just hang tight, and we'll get you moved back to your room, okay?"

He didn't understand any of this. The last thing that he recalled was sitting by Eren's bedside. After that, there had only been darkness and distant voices. "Tell me," he rasped.

"Soon, Levi," promised Hange. "Just take it easy until we get you settled. All right boys, let's get him moved. Careful not to jostle him."

The surface he was lying on popped and shifted, and Levi got the sense of motion. He could hear wheels clattering. He moaned as they went over a bump, and then he heard the ding of an elevator. He was rotated, pushed forward and then rotated again. A male voice spoke to him.

"All right sir, just lie still. We're going to slide you over onto the bed, okay?"

Levi nodded flimsily, and he grunted as he was transported to a softer surface. Someone covered him up with a blanket, and then the obscuring mask was removed from his eyes. The tape was peeled off, and he blinked to try and clear his vision. He was in a dimmed hospital room, and he could see various flowers and gift baskets lining the shelves and surfaces.

"Oi, wait," he tried to call to the two male nurses that had brought him in here, but his voice was so faint and cracked that it barely came out above a whisper. The nurses left, closing the door behind them. Levi tried to get up, now faintly panicked. That was when he felt the pain in his stomach. He looked down, and he saw that his baby bump had shrank. It was like he'd recently given birth. It shouldn't be like that.

The door opened as Levi stared at his abdomen. He looked up to see Erwin walking in. The alpha looked haggard, like he hadn't slept for days. He had about three days of hair growth on his jaw, and the haunted look in his blue eyes gave Levi even further cause for alarm.

"Erwin...the baby?"

Erwin approached, and he gave Levi a gentle, aching smile. "Love, about the baby—"

"Where is she?" demanded the omega. He cried out as he struggled to sit up, and he pulled the sheets down to look at his stomach. Unmindful of exposing himself, he yanked up the hospital gown they'd put him in, and he saw that they'd bandaged his lower abdomen. He shot his spouse a wide-eyed look of fear and confusion. "What did they do to me?"

"Levi, please calm down," advised Erwin. "You've been through an ordeal. There were complications, and you went into a coma. While you were out, the situation got worse. You were losing the baby, so I..."

Levi didn't hear the rest, because his head started buzzing. He'd lost their daughter. His body had betrayed him again, just when he thought he would make it through to the end without any major disasters.

"I want to see her," he rasped. He couldn't see straight anymore, and he realized it was because his eyes were filling with tears.

"They're bringing her to us now," Erwin said. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and he took Levi's hand. "Please, don't get yourself so worked up. You've been in recovery since yesterday. It's not good for you to be so upset."

"How the fuck can you _say_ that?" Levi demanded. "You cold, heartless bastard! Our daughter is—"

"She's right here," called Hange as the door opened. "Sheesh, I've heard people cuss out their partners before while giving birth, but not so much afterwards! You slept through the whole thing."

He was still in a state of confusion, grief and shock. Hearing even Hange be so flippant after he'd lost a baby was surreal to Levi, and he didn't understand what he was looking at when she wheeled in a device on wheels that reminded him vaguely of a big plastic rodent cage or aquarium. His heart nearly stopped when he saw what was inside of it, and his mind came to one specific conclusion.

"What the hell kind of coffin is that?"

"Coffin?" Hange raised her eyebrows. "Where do you see a—"

"That's my daughter in there, right?" His throat tightened up, and he trembled. "Why'd you put her in a clear coffin like that?"

Hange looked down, gave a start and shook her head. "Levi, sweetie, this isn't a—"

"What's that shit all over her?" demanded Levi, seeing the wires taped to her and the mask over her mouth and nose. "Why is she...h-huh? Did she move?"

It happened again, and Levi went quiet. Moving. Jane was moving. Dead babies weren't supposed to do that. "She's...not dead?"

"Oh Levi, no!" Hange looked faintly horrified. "Erwin, did you explain to him?"

"I don't think he heard all of it," said the alpha. He stroked Levi's hair soothingly.

"You s-said I was miscarrying," hiccoughed Levi, "said there were complications."

"Yes, I said you were having a miscarriage, but I also tried to explain that they did an emergency c-section to save her. It was close, but Hange won the day. Our little girl is very much alive."

"No wonder you were going on about coffins," mused Hange. She carefully pushed the contraption holding Levi's newborn closer, so that he could look into it more closely and gaze upon the infant. "This is an incubator for premies. Jane is a little fighter, just like her papa. She made it through and she's doing fine. She'll just have to stay in here until her lungs are more mature."

Levi stared at the miniscule baby. She was only a little bigger than one of Erwin's hands, and she had a shock of black hair on her head. She yawned and smacked her lips, one of her tiny feet flexing.

"Can I touch her?" He could see now what the holes in the container must be for.

"Of course, but lets sanitize your hands first," said Hange.

She got a bottle from the shelf space beneath the incubator box, and she squirted some of the clear gel into Levi's outstretched hands. He rubbed them together briskly, making sure to coat them both completely and let them dry out. Gingerly, afraid that he might hurt little Jane with the slightest pressure, he stroked a finger over her soft cheek. He then touched her curled fingers, her tiny toes and her downy hair. Beside him, Erwin put an arm around Levi and smiled, quietly watching the omega bond with the child Levi thought he'd lost.

"I'm sorry," whispered Levi to his daughter, "for giving up on you, even for a second."

"You had just woken up, and you were confused," Erwin reminded him. "I'm the one that's sorry for scaring you. I should have led with her being in the incubator and then explained why."

Hange wiped her eyes and smiled. "Well, Levi? Isn't she just the most precious thing?"

"She's wrinkly," he said, but he smiled.

* * *

Levi discovered that Eren had been responsible for Jane's first feedings while he was still unconscious. The other omega had generously pumped enough milk to supply the infant until Levi was able to do it himself, and he came to visit Levi as soon as he heard he was awake and recovering.

"I knew you wanted to nurse, so I figured you would rather her get milk from a surrogate than have them feed her formula," explained the younger omega. "I hope you're okay with it, Levi."

"Since it's you and not some stranger, it's fine." Levi winced at the reminder of his own recent pumping excursion. He'd feared that he wouldn't be able to produce enough milk for his daughter since he hadn't started nursing her right away, but his body at least cooperated in that regard. He hated doing it, but he stuck with his plan to avoid formula, at least in the beginning.

"With her being a premie, it's even more important that she gets it," Levi went on. "She needs all the help she can get to keep growing." He was gently and carefully wiping the baby down, bathing her with a sponge.

Eren smiled at the infant. "She sure is cute. Has Lance been here yet to meet her?"

"No, he's coming this afternoon." Levi sighed, and he finished up. "I wish I could just take her home and get out of this place, but I'm just gonna have to be patient. Who's watching over the kids, by the way?"

"Armin. I can't stay for long, because the twins are going to need another feeding and I haven't pumped more yet."

"Pumping sucks." Levi looked the taller omega over. "You look good, though. Seems like you're losing the baby weight pretty fast."

"Probably because I'm nursing. Armin says it can boost metabolism." Eren grinned. "I've been too busy to try and work out, so that's a good thing. I'd like to get my tone back eventually, though."

"You can work out with me as soon as I'm healed enough to do it," offered Levi. He scratched at his stomach where they'd made the incision. "These staples itch like a bitch. Lucky I heal faster than average so I can get them out sooner."

"Are you eating enough?" asked Eren.

"Yeah, Erwin fed me this morning before he went to work, and I can eat real food again, too."

"Good. I was going to offer if he hadn't."

Levi gave the younger man's head a light smack. "Idiot. You can't offer yourself up as a meal to everyone, you know. You've got two babies to feed and you're still recovering from childbirth. Save your blood and your strength."

Eren chuckled. "Yes sir. I'll try to remember that."

"Speaking of blood, do you still have the cravings?" Levi rolled the incubator back and forth as Jane started crying, rocking her in the only way he could right now.

"No, thank God. That stopped as soon as I had the twins. I've been eating my steak more rare than usual, but that's about it."

"Glad to hear that. Vampirism doesn't suit you." Levi considered him, and he remembered the proposal he'd made to Erwin a while back. "Hey Eren, are you guys attached to that apartment you live in?"

Eren shrugged. "It's just a place to live for now. We're going to try and get something bigger eventually, but I don't think our family's going to grow much more than this. Having two births in a row satisfied my kid cravings for a while."

"I'll bet," snorted Levi. "Well anyway, how would you like to just move your shit into our place and pay us whatever rates they charge you at your place?"

"You...want us to move in? With the babies?"

Levi rolled his eyes. "No, I want you to leave the babies at your apartment to fend for themselves. Dumbass, of course with the babies."

Eren looked excited, but he hesitated. "Wouldn't that crowd you a little?"

Levi raised a brow. "In the house you got lost in the first time you used our bathroom? No, I don't think that's gonna be an issue. You're going to need more space, and we've got more than we need. I'm not having any more kids after this, so Erwin and I aren't going to be filling that place up to the walls with brats."

"Wow, that's really generous of you, Levi. I mean, I'm not exactly dancing anymore, so until I find something else or can get back to it, we aren't making as much money as we were."

"Hence why I'm offering you the same rates you're already paying. That way you get more room for no extra money, and I get someone to help me out with the kids and taking care of the house. You can take your time figuring out what you want to do. Take some classes if you want. Start your own business. Do whatever."

"Damn, that sounds nice. What about utilities, though?" The other man seemed a little crestfallen at the thought. "Your electric bills have to be way higher than ours. I don't know if we can afford that."

"Leave that to us for now," insisted Levi. "You just pay us rent and keep doing what you've been doing around the house. Hell, we could even convert one of the bedrooms into a kitchen and you guys can have a whole floor all to yourselves. We'd probably never miss it."

"Maybe you should ask Erwin first," laughed Eren. "I don't think we should make plans to remodel his house without consulting him."

"I'm just pointing out some possibilities." Levi shrugged. "If it were up to me, we'd sell the damned place and move somewhere smaller. We've still got his penthouse too, but he uses that sometimes when his business keeps him in the city too late to drive home."

Eren sighed. "I can't even imagine being that rich."

"Maybe you will someday. You've got the chance to build a career for yourself and find out. How about it, brat?"

"If you're serious, then I'll talk to Armin and Mikasa about it tonight," enthused Eren, "but does Erwin know about this? I don't want to make any assumptions."

"He knows, and he already agreed to it. He can be pretty easy-going at times."

"I guess so." Eren grinned at him. "But I think when it comes to you, he'd do anything you asked."

Levi said nothing in response to that, but he smirked.

* * *

It took two weeks for them to get the okay to bring their new baby home. Levi was extremely protective of his daughter, and at first he wouldn't let anyone else except Erwin hold her. He carried her around in a sling so that he could keep an eye on her at all times and feed her right away when she needed it. Poor Lance wanted to play with her, but Levi sternly told him that she was much too small and fragile. The boy had to be content with watching whenever Levi nursed or bathed her.

Eren was a bit more tractable. He showed Lance how to hold his son and daughter, let him bottle feed them whenever Eren had the milk expressed to do it, and he even took the little boy with him whenever he went on a stroll with the twins. Erwin was quite proud of his son for his willingness to help with the infants, and he said as much to Levi one night after putting Lance to bed.

"He's really very good with them," said the alpha. "I think it's going to build a sense of responsibility for the boy to help out with the other kids."

"Yeah, but Eren's kids aren't premies," reminded Levi. He carefully eased Jane into her bassinet. She was way too small yet to go in the crib. "I get that he wants to help, and I know he wants to be more hands-on with his sister. He can practice on the other two until Jane's big enough."

Erwin came up behind his mate, and he rubbed Levi's shoulders as he gazed down at their daughter with him. Jane yawned sleepily, content with a full belly.

"I just hope that you don't develop a complex about this. Yes, our daughter needs more special care than even Lance did, but she isn't going to be this small forever." He kissed the crown of Levi's head. "I don't want you to go stir crazy and coop yourself up, either. You should go out and do something the next time I take a day off work. I'll stay home with her."

Levi nodded. He kept staring at the baby, and she stared back up at him with blue-gray eyes.

"She has my mother's eyes," whispered Levi.

Erwin looked down at her again. He would have said she had Levi's eyes, but he'd never met the omega's mother and there was that ring of blue lining the irises. Perhaps the resemblance Levi saw was part of why he was so protective.

"It's not too late to change her name," suggested Erwin. "We could still name her after your mother."

Levi shook his head. "No. I think it would bring back too many bad memories for me to call her by my mom's name. It's better this way."

"Come to bed," suggested Erwin softly, having had this conversation with Levi before when they found out they were having a girl and finalizing what to call her. He couldn't change Levi's past, but he could give him the love he'd gone without for so long.

He took Levi's hand and urged him to follow. He didn't expect a sexual encounter tonight, though he certainly wouldn't turn one down. Levi followed him, and Erwin pulled him close once they were in bed and the lights were off. Erwin traced the thin scar just above Levi's underwear line. It was healing up nicely and the staples were out. It would still be a while before Levi could get back into his old fitness routine, though.

Erwin kissed his spouse softly on the lips, and his hands started to wander. He cupped Levi's bottom, and he slipped his tongue into his mouth. They kissed for a while, and though Erwin was getting aroused, he felt no answering stir from his mate. He checked a sigh, reminding himself that he didn't want Levi having sex with him out of any sense of obligation. It could take time for Levi to get his libido back as well.

"I'm sorry," murmured the omega. There was real regret in his voice.

"Don't be. You've recently had a baby, and you're trying to adjust." Erwin rubbed Levi's back. "I can wait."

"Hopefully not for much longer," yawned the omega. "It's these meds they've got me on, I think. They've choked off my sex drive."

It wasn't going to be the only time Erwin would have to wait for satisfaction. Once Levi recovered enough to go in for it, they planned to schedule his sterilization procedure. He'd probably be sexually compromised for a while after that, too.

"Do you think you'll still have heats after we get you sterilized?" Erwin asked curiously.

"I dunno. I got 'em before Carver reversed it, so maybe. We can ask Hange about that sometime."

Erwin nodded in agreement. The thought of his Levi never having a heat again bothered him a little bit. It wasn't because he wanted the chance to get him pregnant again; this birth had convinced Erwin that two kids was enough. If he was honest with himself, Erwin just got turned on by the thought of Levi writhing, sweating and desperate for his cock. Erwin rarely had the upper hand in their relationship these days, and when Levi was in heat happened to be one of those instances.

"Hey, why are you worried about me going into heat?" asked the omega suddenly, as if he'd read Erwin's mind. Levi rolled over to click the lamp on, and he lay on his side watching the alpha curiously. "You're not worried I'm gonna cut you off, are you?"

Erwin was taken off guard by the question. "Pardon?"

"Are you worried I'll stop fucking you if I don't have heats?" Levi clarified.

Erwin had to think carefully before he answered. Levi was moodier than average while his hormones were balancing out, and some of his concern must have leaked through their bond. "I know that heats aren't necessary for you to have sex, Levi. That isn't really why I asked."

"Then why _did_ you ask?" Levi fluffed his pillow and waited expectantly.

Trying not to stare at the omega's chest and fantasize about playing with his nipples, Erwin averted his gaze. "Because I'm still bound to have ruts. I wonder if I should have a procedure done too."

Erwin's mouth fell open as the words left him. That wasn't what he'd meant to say at all. Not even close.

"You want to get snipped?" Levi's brows forked. "Why? If I keep using birth control after mine's done, we shouldn't have any accidents."

"You...wouldn't want me to get snipped?"

"I just don't see the point. Unless you'd rather get snipped and I don't get my procedure done. Why should we both have surgery if we don't have to?"

Sensing that Levi was truly concerned, Erwin skimmed his fingers over the omega's arm. "You seem upset by the prospect."

"Maybe 'cause I don't want anyone coming at my alpha's balls with a knife." Levi glanced down at the sheets covering Erwin to the waist. "I like your package just the way it is."

Erwin coughed into his hand. "I see. Well, a vasectomy is less invasive than tube tying. It has a faster recovery time, too."

"Are you seriously thinking of doing this?"

The alpha sighed. "I don't know. I just know that it seems like the easier option."

_~And I still want you to have heats, because I'm a very bad man.~_

"So you want to get snipped so that you don't have ruts, because you're worried that if I get fixed, I won't have heats anymore. Is that right?"

"That's part of it."

Levi sighed. "I'll take care of you when you have your ruts, blondie. You don't have to worry about that. I might be having trouble getting in the mood right now, but it's temporary."

"What are you doing?" gasped Erwin when his mate reached under the covers without warning to grope him.

"Showing you I'm not going to neglect you." Levi started kissing Erwin's throat, and he stroked him through his underwear. "Just relax. I'll get you off right now."

"Levi, this isn't what I...oh...y-you don't have to...ahh..." Erwin was finding it exceptionally hard to concentrate. He was horny, and now his sexy little stripper was wrecking what composure he still had left.

"Levi, damn it," groaned Erwin as the smaller man reached into his underwear to give him more of the treatment. Then he felt Levi's fangs go into his neck, and his eyes went blank. The euphoria of being fed on started to sweep through him, enhancing the pleasure of Levi's touch.

"And you accuse me of being...perverted," gasped Erwin. He started rocking into the other man's grip, even as he tried to gather his thoughts.

"Mmm." Levi continued to draw on his blood, and his hand sped up.

"Shit." The alpha in him was straining to get out, and Erwin lost more control with each determined pump of Levi's hand. He rolled the omega onto his back, and he pinned him down.

"Oi," muttered Levi, pulling his mouth away from Erwin's throat. "Don't get carried away."

"I'm sorry, but it's too late." Erwin kissed Levi hungrily, tasting his own blood on his lips. He started to mark him with the scent glands in his wrists, hoping to get some kind of response. He wouldn't do it unless he felt answering desire from his omega, no matter how much he wanted it.

"You big...mmmph."

Erwin again silenced his protests with his mouth. He lifted up a bit, and he fondled a nipple. It tightened under the attention, and he felt evidence of something else tightening up as well. He smiled in relief against the smaller man's lips, and he ground himself between Levi's thighs.

"Hah," huffed Levi, now gaining a charming pink flush to his cheeks. "Erwin..."

He could feel his blood trickling sluggishly from the puncture wounds in his neck, but Erwin didn't care. He shifted lower on the bed, and he took Levi's right nipple between his lips. The omega squirmed restlessly, getting harder against Erwin's stomach. Erwin teased the nipple until he tasted milk, and then he pushed back up to speak into Levi's ear. His lust made him bold, and now that Levi was responding, he through caution into the wind.

"Do you want to know the vulgar truth, Levi? I don't want you to stop having heats." He tugged on his omega's earlobe with his teeth, tonguing the cross earring dangling there. "I love it when you're dripping with slick, hard as a rock, whimpering my name and utterly at my mercy. Every time you're in heat and I enter you, the reaction I get from you makes me feel so gratified that I could go mad from it."

"F-fuck," moaned Levi, straining against Erwin's sudden hold on his wrists. "Congratulations, you've turned me on."

Erwin crossed Levi's wrists over his head, and he pinned them there with one hand. With the other, he reached down to yank at their underwear. After a bit of grunting and swearing, he got Levi's underwear off. His own he didn't even bother with. He pulled them down enough to expose himself, and he got into position. He could feel how wet Levi was, and he kissed him deeply.

"Do you want it, Levi?" Erwin nudged gently against Levi's entrance, letting him feel the tip. It was torture to hold back, but he stubbornly did so.

"You hot blond shit," growled Levi. He spread his thighs wide, braced his feet on the mattress and pushed up, trying to get Erwin inside of him. "Look how fucking wet you got me with your filthy talk."

"I'll take that as a yes," purred Erwin. He thrust in slowly, looking down at Levi's face. A shuddering moan issued from the smaller man, and Levi's ankles locked together at the small of Erwin's back. "Yes, you really do want it."

Now reassured that he'd been worrying a little too much, Erwin started making love to him. Levi gasped and groaned beneath him, rolling his hips to meet Erwin's pumps. There was nothing quite like sex with an omega, even when they weren't in heat.

Erwin released Levi's wrists, and he pumped his hips more sharply. His groans joined Levi's as his passion mounted. Levi wrapped his arms around him, and he kissed and nipped at Erwin's chest. The omega's tongue swiped at a drying line of blood on Erwin's throat. A breathy cry followed the action when Erwin changed his angle a little.

"Oh...oh! God, right there," panted Levi. "Pound me with that big dick."

Erwin hadn't intended to get rough with him. He hadn't even expected this encounter to happen. Now he was just as helpless to his urges as Levi, and he growled. His flesh smacked against his omega's as he took him harder. He hooked his arm under Levi's right leg, lifting it high to deepen the penetration. Levi's ululating moan was testament to his approval, and the omega's back arched.

"That's my Levi," groaned Erwin, feeling his mate's cum spurting against his skin. He slowed down a little, milking it for everything it was worth. Levi tossed his head and shuddered, spurting once more. Erwin kissed the corners of the omega's mouth, and then he picked up speed again.

"Erwin," gasped Levi, "the...baby. She...she's crying."

Erwin hadn't even noticed it, he'd been so caught up in finishing. He was too close to stop now. He gave five more quick, deep pumps, and then he groaned hoarsely and came. Levi's hands were against his chest, but he wasn't pushing him away. They caught their breath for a moment, and then Erwin got off of Levi to check on their daughter.

"She needs changing," announced the alpha, still breathless from his climax.

"So does the bed," came Levi's response.

With Jane cradled in his arms, Erwin turned to look at his spouse and he saw what he meant. They'd made quite a mess, and the light blue sheets were in danger of being stained to the point of ruination. Erwin had gotten blood on it in addition to spunk. He was having trouble being upset about that though, because his omega was lying naked, sweaty and spent on top of those soiled sheets. Even though Erwin had just gotten off, his groin tingled with the threat of another erection.

"Would you rather change her, or the bedding?" Erwin managed to ask.

_~And stop looking so sinfully inviting. I already got too excited with you earlier.~_

"You've already got her, so I'll change the bedding," answered Levi. He sat up, stretched and absently scratched his c-section scar.

"Did I hurt you?" asked Erwin as he started the process of changing Jane's diaper.

"No. It's all closed up, but it still itches sometimes." Levi wiped off with a corner of the bedding, and then he put his robe on. He paused in walking past Erwin after stripping the bedding. "Kudos for waking my dick up. I didn't think I had it in me tonight."

Erwin smiled, and he leaned over to kiss Levi softly. "I didn't think you did either. I wasn't going to try to initiate anything."

"I initiated it." Levi shrugged. "You just finished it. Be right back."

"All right love." Erwin watched him go for a minute, and then he focused on changing their daughter. He smiled at her when he finished and she settled down.

"Daddy is one lucky man, princess."

* * *

-To be continued


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! I hope everyone will enjoy this long-overdue update.

A year passed, and it was a time of celebration. They were having a triple birthday party for the three youngest kids, since they were all born so close together.

"Erwin, she can't blow that out on her own," Levi admonished his mate when he saw him trying to show Jane how to extinguish her birthday candle.

Erwin didn't listen. "Here, just pucker up like this and blow, princess. Daddy will help."

Levi rolled his eyes, and he flipped the burgers on the grill. Erwin ended up being the one to actually blow the candle out, but Jane giggled and clapped happily. Damon and Harper were already eating their birthday cupcakes, with the former sitting in Armin's lap and the latter sitting in Mikasa's. Eren was inside getting the presents ready.

"Good girl," enthused Erwin. He sat down with her to help her eat. "Levi, have you heard from Hange and Petra yet?"

"They're running late," answered Levi. "Something about picking up a special package."

"I'll bet it's a huge present!" Lance enthused, climbing out of the pool. "Aunt Hange always goes all out."

"As long as it's not something that's going to end with a trip to the hospital, that's fine," sighed Levi. At Lance's eighth birthday party, Hange rented a bouncy house for the event that resulted in one kid going home with a black eye and another knocking a tooth out. Thankfully, Lance wasn't one of the 'casualties'.

"Hey Lance, think fast," called Jean. A beach ball hit the little boy on the head. "Awe come on, you've got to have better reflexes than that if you want to play baseball."

"I've got reflexes! Just look at this!"

Levi saw his son winding up to throw the baseball he'd been tossing back and forth with Ymir earlier. "Lance, don't—"

Jean got a little more payback than he deserved for hitting the kid in the head with the beach ball. He went down in a heap as Lance demonstrated his pitcher's arm and hit him in the temple. Isabel ran to Jean immediately, and so did Historia.

"Damn it," hissed Levi. "Oi, Nanaba, would you keep an eye on these burgers? I'd better make sure Kirstein doesn't need an ambulance."

"Of course, Levi." The beta woman stepped up to the grill while Levi went to check on Jean.

"Lance, go to your room," Levi ordered his son as he knelt down to examine Jean's head.

"I told him it was coming," protested Lance.

"You aimed right for his head, brat."

"Well he aimed at mine first!"

"With something about as heavy as a roll of toilet paper," thundered Levi. "Now, Lance!"

Pouting, the boy ran into the house. Erwin relinquished Jean to Mike's care, and he joined Levi by the pool. Groaning, Jean sat up with their help, clutching his head.

"Kid's got a good throwing arm," complimented the bartender.

Kenny was standing off to the side, lighting up a cigarette. "Who do ya think trained him? You shouldn't have challenged him, buddy."

"Trained him for what? Bludgeoning people to death from a distance?" Jean winced as Isabel put some ice wrapped in a napkin on the side of his head.

"Hey, so far that kid's pitched perfect games," Kenny shot back. "He could have a future in sports."

"All right, let's just get Jean inside and lying down," Erwin suggested. "Maybe when Hange arrives, she can have a closer look at him. Can you stand up, Jean?"

"Yeah, I think so." Jean staggered to his feet with help, and Erwin assisted him into the house.

"Great start to the party," snickered Eren. He and Jean still bore some dislike for each other.

"Don't start anything," Levi warned. "It's our kids' first birthday party. I'm not in the mood."

Erwin came back out a few moments later while Levi went back to grilling. Following behind him was Hange and Petra...and they weren't alone. Petra had a baby in her arms, and her smile was radiant with joy.

"Look at who showed up," announced Erwin. He held the back door open for the two women, and everyone gathered around with exclamations of surprise. Erwin smiled at the infant in Petra's arms. "Special package, indeed."

"I'll be damned," muttered Levi under his breath. He walked over to have a closer look. "This is the part where you tell me exactly how this happened, Hange."

"We wanted to be absolutely sure it went through before announcing it," Petra explained before her wife could speak up. "We didn't want everyone getting too excited until we finalized everything, and we just did that today. It could still fall through though, if—"

"No, no, no," interrupted Hange with a shake of her finger. "Don't even _think_ of that happening. This little angel is our son now. Oh, by the way, his name is Paul." She put down the baby supply bag she was carrying, and she gave Erwin and Levi each a hug. "We finally did it! We're a family!"

"Yes, well done," Erwin said, patting her on the back. "We're all very happy for you."

"Took long enough for you to get him," Levi added. His expression relaxed, and he almost smiled. "Do you have something to put him in if he needs a nap?"

"Oh, the car seat," Hange said. "I'll go and get it. We've got presents for the kids, too."

"I'll come help," offered Sasha.

"Yeah, me too," said Connie. "Let me carry any of the heavy stuff."

They took off to get the required items, and Levi turned to Petra. He looked down at the baby in her arms. The kid had curly auburn hair, brown eyes and a light complexion. Levi didn't want to bring up the subject of anything going wrong with this arrangement, but after what Petra had started to say earlier, he had some concerns.

"So this is the real deal, huh? The mother signed all the paperwork and there's no chance she'll go back on it?"

"Oh, I don't think we'll get any trouble from her," answered Petra, "but they haven't gotten the father's paperwork back, yet. The birth mother doesn't think he'll contest it, but until we get his written consent I'm not going to relax."

Levi nodded. He let the baby squeeze his finger, and he looked at his friend again. "I hope it all works out for you. If you want another one, you can have my eldest."

Her brows shot up. "Um, okay. What did Lance do?"

"Nearly gave one of our party guests a concussion with a baseball. He's being punished." Levi frowned as he said it. Sending a kid to a room full of video games, a TV, toys and activity books wasn't exactly what he would call a punishment. "Actually, hold that thought. I've got to relocate the little shit before he decides it's worth getting in trouble to be sent to his room."

"What are you going to do?" Petra asked. "I need some pointers so that I don't become too lenient with my son."

"He's going to be on dish duty for the rest of the night." Levi shrugged. "He might as well do something productive and clean up after everyone. Time out in the corner doesn't work on him; he just falls asleep."

Petra chuckled. "Genius."

* * *

After the birthday party, Erwin had to go away for a week-long business trip. His feet were dragging when he returned home. Nile helped him bring his suitcase and laptop in from the car, and Erwin just set them by the front door. It was fairly late; Lance and Jane would be in bed by now, so Erwin would just have to see them in the morning.

He didn't call out, but instead checked the main living room to see if anyone was up. He found Eren in there working on a term paper for school. Eren had been taking courses online for three months so far, having taken Levi's advice to take his life in a new direction. The omega looked up from his laptop when Erwin stepped into the room, and he paused in his work.

"Hi Erwin. How was the trip?"

"Exhausting," answered the blond. He expected to find Levi still up, but perhaps he was in his office working on another story. "Where is everyone?"

"Armin's up stairs asleep, and so are the kids. Mikasa's at work. We brought Jane into our nursery room, by the way. Levi's in your bedroom."

Erwin frowned. "Why would you need to bring Jane into your nursery room?"

"Levi's not really in the condition to take care of her right now," explained Eren. "Don't worry though; she's fine. I just checked on her and my kids a few minutes ago."

"What's wrong with Levi? Has he come down with something while I was away?"

Eren smirked. "Not exactly, no. It's not an aspirin or cold medicine he needs right now, sir."

Erwin's eyes widened slightly, his mind racing and jumping to a conclusion. He'd had a vasectomy recently after getting Hange to help him convince Levi that his balls would be fine and he could resume normal activities after a week or so. That had been earlier in the month before Jane's birthday party, but he and Levi had sex more than once before Erwin got the procedure done. There was a chance that birth control could have failed.

"Is he...pregnant?" Erwin was terrified by the thought, even though it would be their last chance to have another child if that was the case.

"No," assured Eren. "He just um...needs his alpha. It started yesterday, and it's at its peak now."

"Oh." Erwin raised a brow. He'd been prepared to get out of his business suit and crash right away, but this put a different perspective on things. "Then I'd best get up there."

"Yeah, he wasn't wearing anything when I checked in on him earlier." Eren spread his hands as Erwin stopped and stared. He snickered softly. "Nobody tied him up this time."

"Hmph. A shame." Erwin didn't mean to say that, but thinking of the time he came home to find his omega blindfolded and tied up in bed roused his passions. "Goodnight, Eren. Thank you for watching over our daughter."

"No problem. Goodnight."

Eren went back to his term paper, and Erwin took the stairs two steps at a time. As Levi's heat scent reached him, Erwin almost slipped on the grand staircase. He grabbed the banister to right himself, and he made it up to their floor. Erwin forced himself to calm down, and he smoothed his suit out and collected himself. After waving a hand over his mouth to check if his breath smelled all right, he turned the knob and opened the door. The hinges were well-oiled, so they didn't make a sound as he pushed the door open.

That smell. He'd missed that smell. This was Levi's first heat since before he'd gotten pregnant with Jane. The alpha's nostrils flared, and he started to salivate. He touched the light panel on the wall, and he slowly brightened the overhead ceiling fan lights just enough to see his mate.

As Eren said, Levi was naked. He'd laid out one of Erwin's shirts on the bed, and he was curled up on top of it like a cat. He was clutching at it, panting softly in his sleep. His pale, toned physique had a fine sheen of perspiration on it, and Levi had also placed a towel under his hips to keep his slick off of the bedding.

Erwin almost choked himself yanking his tie off. "I'm here, Levi."

The omega's silvery eyes opened at the sound of his alpha's voice. They glowed as they stared up at Erwin from beneath heavy lids. Levi rolled onto his back and propped himself up on his elbows, his breath quickening further. He parted his lips, and the tips of his fangs peaked out. His cock was swollen and moist at the tip, and it twitched as Levi's gaze roamed over the blond.

"Erwin."

That was all Levi needed to say. Erwin locked the door behind him, and he didn't take his eyes off Levi as he hastily undressed.

* * *

A couple of days later, Hange and Petra were doing some domestics together. Petra finished putting away the dishes she'd taken out of the washing machine, and she gave Hange a quick kiss when the alpha passed by her with the laundry basket.

"I have a shift starting soon," informed Petra. "Are you sure you'll be all right with Paul all day?"

"Are you kidding? I finally have a day off." Hange smiled at her, and she put the laundry basket down on the table to start sorting and folding the clothes. "You just take your shift and let me take care of the rest. Paul and I will have fun."

The omega pinched her lips when the baby started to scream and cry in the nursery. He was teething. "Are you sure? I don't have to take the shift, Hange. I'm probably getting out of the age range to keep dancing like this anyway."

"Nonsense, you still look like a teenager." Hange gave her a squeeze and a nuzzle. "Now let me go and take care of our loud little boy while you finish getting ready for your shift."

Petra shrugged, and she went to their bedroom to change. She passed Hange again on her way back out, and she grabbed her purse off the kitchen counter. "Okay, I should be back by eight tonight. I can pick something up for dinner on my way home if you want."

"I'm sure I can throw something together for us." Hange looked Petra's peacock themed mini dress up and down. "Of course, I could just eat you for dinner instead."

"That might be fun, but it wouldn't be very nutritious," teased the dancer. She bent over to plant a kiss on the head of the baby in her spouse's arms. "Try to be good, little fellow. I know your mouth hurts, but your mom is going to take good care of you. I love you."

Hange watched her go, and she started concentrating on getting Paul's pain managed. She got out the infant pain gel, and she rubbed some of it onto the fussing child's gums. "Shh, sweetheart. It'll feel better in a minute. We'll get your teething ring next and—"

Petra barged in through the front door just as Hange was carrying their son toward the kitchen. Hange turned startled eyes to her panicked-looking mate. Petra's face was white, and she slammed the door behind her.

"Petra? What's the matter?"

"Police...outside on the street," said the omega. "Oh Hange, I think they're here to take the baby from us!"

Hange's expression darkened, and she looked out the window by the front door. She bounced the baby in her arms, watching as two officers began to approach on the walkway.

"Take the baby and run."

Hange turned to look at Petra. "Huh?"

Petra started trying to steer Hange toward the back door. "Take the alley. I'll keep them distracted while you run."

"Petra, I don't think—"

"Please, Hange! I can't lose him now!"

Petra's eyes filled with tears, and that did it for Hange. The alpha woman firmed up her resolve, and she nodded. "He's not going anywhere."

* * *

Erwin got the call that afternoon, and it made very little sense to him. He hung up the phone, and he got out of his chair to prepare to Leave. He found Levi in his home office, and he let him know the news.

"I have to go downtown, Levi. Hange's in jail."

Levi paused in his typing, and he frowned up at the blond. "Shit. What'd four-eyes do now?"

"Something rash and reckless," sighed Erwin, "and born of a complete misunderstanding, no less. I have to bail her out and get her some legal representation."

"Did she kill someone?"

Erwin shook his head. "No, but there's an incident with the club involved."

"Hold on," demanded Levi, getting out of his desk chair. "What about the strip club? Did someone get into a fight and stab someone? Why haven't I heard anything about it from Kenny or Petra?"

"I can't speak for Kenny, but Petra was who the police were trying to question. When she saw them pull up, she went inside and told Hange. Apparently they thought the officers were there to take their baby, so Hange took off out the back with him and went running down the street—"

"She was running with an infant?"

"Yes," continued Erwin. "And the officers saw her fleeing with a screaming baby, so they gave chase, thinking she was either looking for help or kidnapping someone else's baby. They caught up with her after she vaulted three fences and..."

Erwin coughed to disguise an inappropriate laugh. "Excuse me. Hange claimed she was just out for a jog. Obviously, the officers didn't buy that. One of them recognized her, so they brought her into the station for questioning. They don't have any warrants for her, but they booked her on charges of child endangerment."

"Why the fuck are you snickering?" Levi snapped when Erwin coughed again. "You're not fooling me. You're laughing about this shit. Do you know what this could do to their custody rights over that kid?"

"And that's exactly why I'm going to get her the best lawyer I can," assured Erwin, flushing over being called out. "You're right; it's terrible of me to laugh. I certainly don't want them to lose that baby. It's just such a strange situation."

"Well cut it out before I pimp-slap some sense into you," warned Levi. His voice softened a little as he approached Erwin. "Now, what's this about the club?"

"Ah, don't worry about that. It was vandalism. One of the girls went in early for her shift, saw a window to the office broken and called the police to file a report on it. She gave them Petra's information when they asked for a management contact."

Levi sighed. "Damn. So Hange went nuts and got herself arrested over the cops investigating vandalism. Where's the kid at?"

"With Petra. They allowed her to take him home for now, but I'm afraid she and Hange are going to be under investigation now."

"No shit," muttered Levi. "A stripper and a known syndicate associate adopt a kid, and then one of them takes off running the minute she sees guys in uniform coming up to her door. They're not on the road to success if they want to impress the authorities as suitable parents. I'd better get to the club and see if anything got stolen. Kenny's probably still sleeping, but I'll try calling him too."

"Good idea. I'll take care of the situation with Hange while you do that."

"Let me check with Eren first and see if he can cover the child care for me before I go," Levi suggested. "I might just have to get someone else to check things out, 'cause I'm not taking our daughter to the club with me and you can't take her to the police station."

"True," sighed Erwin. "If nothing else, I'll contact Mike about it and see what he can do."

* * *

Erwin arrived at the police station, paid Hange's bail and got her out. She was obviously frazzled, and he waited until they got into his car and had the privacy divider up before saying anything to her. He kept his voice calm as he spoke.

"Tell me what happened, Hange. You were practically babbling over the phone earlier, and I'm not sure I fully understand."

She blew a sigh. "I'm sorry, Erwin. I panicked. Petra and I have had so many disappointments trying to get a baby. So many times we've been one document away from succeeding, only to get turned down. I couldn't stand the thought of putting her through that again, and when she asked me to take the baby and run—"

"Wait, it was _Petra's_ idea for you to do that?" interrupted the blond.

Hange nodded. She rubbed her forehead, and she met Erwin's gaze. "If someone came to try and take one of your children and Levi asked you to stop it from happening, what would you do?"

Erwin lowered his gaze. "I understand. Your situation is precarious, and you were both thinking with your emotions rather than your heads. I would say that you should have simply put the baby in a room while one of you found out what the police wanted, but that does no good now."

"He was crying because he's teething," excused Hange. "They would have heard him if they'd been there to take him from us."

"I see. There's nothing to be done for it now, except to build you a good defense case. What we need to figure out is how we're going to explain your excuse of 'going out for a jog' to the police. You weren't jogging, you were springing. You vaulted three fences with a baby in your arms, Hange."

"I know. Like I said: I panicked. If I'd kept my wits about me I would have said I thought the baby had an abscess where a tooth was coming in and I was taking him to our pediatrics office, which is only a couple of blocks from us."

"They would have asked why you didn't take the car," Erwin pointed out.

"I would have said it's been having trouble and I didn't want to risk breaking down with the baby in the car," came her response with a shrug.

"Hmm, that might have flown. We could possibly even still use that defense. Are you actually having any car troubles that a mechanic could confirm?"

Hange winced.

"I thought not," muttered Erwin. "Well, I can have that remedied. I can even arrange to have the call logs show that one of you attempted to reach your pediatrician before the police arrived. That will back the story. You just have to convince the jury that you used the jogging excuse impulsively, because your concern for your son interfered with your judgment."

"I think I can do that," Hange agreed with relief. "Thanks, Erwin. I'll call Petra now and let her know what's going on."

Erwin nodded, and he waited in silence as his associate called up her wife.

"Petra, it's me. Yes, I'm fine sweetheart. I'm with Erwin. He bailed me out and we're on our way to the law firm to build my defense case. Don't worry; I'll explain everything when I get home. For now, I need you to take Paul to the clinic and tell Dr. Shilo that we're concerned he may have an abscess in his mouth, and tell her we tried to call in for an appointment but couldn't get through. Yes, I know that, but do it anyway. We'll get everything else taken care of, and I'll see you tonight. Just make sure you get a copy of the bill and the diagnosis, okay? We're going to need that. Uh-huh. Good, give him a kiss for me. I love you, my little peach."

Hange grinned and hung up. She nodded at Erwin. "Petra will take care of the doctor visit."

"You call her 'peach'?"

Hange winked. "Amongst other things. Some of the things I call her are for Petra's ears alone, though."

* * *

Levi shook his head, sighing at the mess. Whoever had done it hadn't managed to get past the security mesh on the office window. He'd reviewed the footage on the security feed with the police, and he found the moment when it had happened. The person responsible had been wearing a hoodie, and all that they could tell for certain was that it was an adult male of average height and build. The officers of course questioned all of the surrounding businesses to find out if anyone saw or heard anything when the vandalism occurred, around four in the morning.

With no leads, all they could do was assume that it was someone that had been to the club before and was familiar enough with it to know which window to try to break into the office. Levi checked the safe just in case, found it untouched and re-locked it. He swept up the mess and made a call to a local carpenter to arrange having the window glass replaced, and he was just about to leave when he crossed paths with his uncle in the hallway.

"About time your ugly mug showed up," remarked the omega. "The cops have already come and gone. Nobody saw it happen, but we've got footage from the security cameras in the back parking lot."

"So what did they look like, and what did they get?" Kenny pulled out a mini cigar from his shirt pocket and lit it up.

"It was too dark to make out any details," explained Levi. "It was some guy in a hoodie. Couldn't even tell what color his skin was; only that it was a male."

"Fucking perfect," sighed Kenny.

"Yeah. He didn't get in, though. He tried prying at the security grate with a crowbar, but I guess he got spooked and took off before he could get it open. Everything's intact, so there's some good news."

Kenny opened the office door and had a look inside. "Cleaned it up already, did ya?"

"Of course. As if I'd have left shards of glass just sitting there." Levi smirked. "As soon as the police finished doing there thing, I got it tidied up and I called a guy to come in and replace the glass. He should be here in the morning, so make sure someone's here to let him in."

Kenny scratched his beard. "Looks like we'll have to step up on our security. We're gonna need someone watching the place when it's not open for business, or it could happen again."

Levi nodded. "And the next time, they might actually get away with something valuable. Good thinking, old weasel. What about Ymir? She might be keen on getting some extra hours until we can find someone else."

"She'll be getting a lot of overtime if we put that on her," Kenny pointed out. "She already runs back door and office security during business hours. If we have her coming in when we're closed, she'll be pulling over sixty hours a week."

"Shit, I didn't think of that." Levi compressed his lips. "All right, I've got an idea that might work as a temporary bandage. If you don't want to do the job—"

"I'm retired, kid," reminded the older vampire.

"No shit. Let me finish. As I was saying, I could talk to Mikasa about it. We'd have to offer her fair compensation for the earnings she'd be missing out on. She might be willing to moonlight as a security guard for us until we hire someone else."

"Heh, not a bad plan," Kenny approved. "Seeing as some of her earnings from the syndicate come from that club, she might find it in her best interest to lend a hand."

"It's no guarantee," cautioned Levi. "Like I said: I can talk to her about it and see how she feels. It's also up to Mike to approve having her temporarily off earning duty."

"Can't your man toss his vote in?"

Levi shrugged. "Erwin stepped down as boss to run his lawfirm, so Mike calls the shots now. I don't see him having a problem with it, but I don't know what's on Mikasa's usual schedule. She comes and goes without discussing her business."

"Well, it's worth a shot. Go for it, brat. I'd feel better knowing that girl was keeping an eye on this place than some stranger."

"She's formidable," agreed Levi. "And she doesn't put up with any of your shit. That's a plus. I'd better get back home so I can run this by her again. Can you handle things here for a little while in Petra's place? She's in no condition emotionally to deal with this bullshit right now."

"What's going on with Petra?" Kenny frowned. Obviously, he wasn't yet aware of the situation with her and Hange's adopted son.

Levi sighed, and he combed his fingers through his dark fringe. "Let's just say there was a misunderstanding with the fuzz and now Erwin's setting up a defense attorney for Hange."

"Oh, shit." Kenny blinked. "What'd Hange do? Plug someone?"

Levi shook his head, rolling his eyes. "No, nothing that bad. It's ridiculous, really. Officers showed up at their place to talk to Petra about the window situation here. Her and Hange both panicked thinking they were there to take the kid, and Hange took Paul and went running off with him before the cops even had a chance to tell them why they were there. They chased her down and charged her with child endangerment and resisting arrest. Erwin was even laughing about it, the goofy shit-stain."

Kenny's face screwed up, and he blew a smoke ring into the air. "Jesus."

"Tch. Right. For someone with a superior IQ, four eyes can be a real moron." Finding it too tempting to take his uncle's example and light up, Levi decided to take his leave. "Well, I've gotta go. I'm sure Petra will be fine once Hange's back home and the lawfirm gets Hange a good defense case. You shouldn't have to shoulder this for too long."

"I can hold down the fort," assured Kenny.

Levi hesitated. It was hard to let go of old feelings of resentment. He dragged the words out with difficulty, finding them unfamiliar and strange. "Thank you."

Kenny seemed likewise afflicted with the awkwardness of an unfamiliar exchange of civil behavior. He gave a nod, tipping the brim of his hat. "Meh, we're family when all's said and done, kid. Sometimes it's more important to cooperate. Get back to your kids and set up this deal with that she-vamp."

"I won't tell her you called her 'she-vamp'."

* * *

Erwin was more tired than he cared to admit when he walked through the foyer of his home. He could hear sounds from the kitchen, sounds of cooking and conversation and children. He smiled a bit when he heard his mate's voice admonishing Eren for adding too much paprika to the dish they were preparing.

Erwin walked into the expansive kitchen, finding his eldest sitting on top of the counter island, mulling over a math textbook. Levi was at the stove stirring a big pot, and Eren was cutting up red potatoes on a chopping board. The three toddlers were in a playpen by the doors leading out to the back patio, within visual range of their omega parents.

Levi sensed Erwin's presence before the alpha could greet them, and he looked up from his task to eye him up and down. "Hey. Dinner will be ready in about an hour. How'd it go with Hange?"

"I've assigned her a good defense lawyer," answered the blond. He approached Levi and embraced him from behind, bending over to kiss him on the right temple. "She's in good hands, and she should be home with Petra by now. I think it will all work out."

Levi nodded, and he nudged the blond irritably when Erwin nuzzled his hair to take in his scent. "Oi, I'm trying to cook here, blondie. Save it for later."

"I'm sorry. It's just that you smell so good and look so cute in that apron." Erwin allowed himself one more sniff, and then he dutifully backed off. "How did things go with you?"

Levi shot a glance at their son, who was old enough now to understand some things they could get away with saying in front of him when he was younger. "Just a broken window. We're having it repaired. There was no other damage."

Erwin nodded, filling in the blanks. "Well, that's good news. Hmm, it looks like you're cooking your goulash. Can I help with anything?"

Levi shook his head. "No, Eren and I have this. Maybe you can help Lance with his homework or—"

"I've got it!" Lance piped up stubbornly, ever prideful over his ability to complete most of his schoolwork without any supervision or aid from his parents.

"Or keep an eye on the other three," finished Levi with a bare smirk.

"I can do that. By the way, do you have any idea what time Mikasa might make it home?"

Levi looked to Eren and raised a questioning brow. The taller omega kept his attention on his chopping, using absurd concentration as if it were something far more important than cutting up some vegetables.

"Eren, are you still in there?" Levi said. "Erwin asked when we can expect Mikasa home."

"Huh? Oh." Eren stopped slicing the potatoes, and he wiped his hands off on his apron and checked the time on the oven. "Probably not for another couple of hours, why?"

"I have a proposition to offer her," explained Erwin. He walked over to the playpen when he noticed his daughter making grabby hands and whimpering for him, and he scooped her up to give her some affection. "It concerns the dance club."

Lance closed his text book and put his pencil down. "I wanna go to the dance club. You guys are always talking about it. When do I get to see it?"

Levi shot Erwin a quick glance before answering, and his and Erwin's response blended together.

"Never," Levi stated.

"When you're older," Erwin said.

Lance looked between the two of them in confusion. "Why?"

It wasn't certain which reply he was questioning, so Erwin took it upon himself to try and explain. "Lance, the dance club we mention so often is a place for adults, not children."

The boy frowned, looking very much like a young blond version of Levi for a moment. "Kids dance too. Why aren't we allowed there?"

"For the same reason adults aren't allowed to play on the playground unless it's with their own kids," said Levi evasively. "Some places are just for kids and some are just for adults. Nobody's telling you that you can't dance, brat."

"But _why_ is the club only for grownups?" demanded Lance.

Levi sighed, and he put his wooden spoon aside to give his mate a tired look. "Erwin, can you get this one?"

"Of course." Erwin shifted his daughter in his arms and kissed her on the cheek before setting her back into the playpen with the other toddlers. He approached Lance, and he squatted before him to address him, eliminating the need for the boy to crane his neck looking up at him.

"Lance, night clubs are adult atmospheres because they serve alcohol, for one thing. Just because it has dancing doesn't mean it's the sort of place you should be in, or that you would even like being there. You'd find it loud, smoky and boring. Besides, the kind of dancing they do in that place is more...for adult entertainment."

Lance's attention drifted briefly to Levi, then back to Erwin again. "You mean like the naked dance Papa did for you the other night?"

Erwin's gaze flicked with alarm to Levi, and he saw his mate's eyes widen. There was only one night in recent history that Lance could be referring to, but Erwin wanted to be sure. "What naked dance, son? Which night?"

Lance shrugged as if there were nothing to be surprised about. "Before you went on your last business trip. Well, he wasn't _totally_ naked. He had boots and a hat on, but that was it. He was dancing weird, and you were sitting on the bed watching and then you—"

"All right, we get it," interrupted Levi. He nudged Eren harshly when the younger omega started snickering over the food he was preparing.

"I didn't say anything," sputtered Eren.

"Keep it that way," hissed Levi. He turned his gaze to Lance, and not even Levi could maintain a completely bland expression after hearing what his son had witnessed. "Lance, how...?"

"You were supposed to be in bed," Erwin said to their son, "and I was sure that I locked the door. How did you see that?"

Lance shrugged. "I went to ask if I could have some water. The door wasn't locked. I started opening the door, but I saw Papa dancing and thought I'd get in trouble if I interrupted, so I just closed the door and got the water myself. Why _was_ he dancing naked, Dad? Is that something parents like to do together, or is it a grownup thing?"

"He...I...er..." Erwin's usual penchant for thinking fast and improvising was failing him, and he looked helplessly at his partner. The night in question had been the anniversary of when he and Levi pair-bonded. Levi decided to celebrate it by giving Erwin a strip tease for old time's sake, as he still sometimes did on special occasions or by request. Neither of them expected to have a third pair of eyes watching it.

Levi came to the rescue this time. "Lance, that was a special dance just for your Dad. Nobody else was supposed to see that. Sometimes adults like to play with each other like that. It's not something you should ever imitate, understand?"

Lance's face screwed up. "Why would I want to dance naked for anyone? I know it's some weird couple thing."

"Just making sure," sighed Levi. He returned his attention to the pot, lifting the lid to give its contents another stir. "The last thing we need is to get a call from a parent asking us why you stripped down and started dancing for one of your friends."

"Grownups are so weird," stated Lance. He rubbed his stomach. "I'm hungry."

"Dinner won't be ready for an hour," reminded Levi. "You can snack on some grapes until then, just don't fill up."

"That wasn't the kind of hunger I meant."

"Oh." Levi turned, and he gave their son a nod. "You know which shelf it's on in the fridge. Go ahead, and while you're at it, make one for me too."

"I'll help with that," offered Erwin, knowing he was the only one that seemed to have the magic touch when it came to preparing Levi's blood cocktails just right. He checked a sigh as he opened the refrigerator to retrieve the gallon jug marked with Levi's name. In a few short years, he would be making special cocktails for their daughter as well. Preparing her for a life of vampirism on top of the approach of womanhood wasn't something he really looked forward to.

* * *

Much later that night after eating, speaking with Mikasa and putting the kids to bed, Erwin joined Levi in their bedroom. He made doubly sure to lock the door this time, and he undressed with a tired groan. Levi was already in bed, covered from the waist down by the sheets and watching the late news on the television.

"Feeling creaky, old man?" The omega smirked sidelong at Erwin, his gaze lingering on his chest and abs when the blond's shirt came open.

"I didn't even work today, but I feel like I just pulled a twelve hour shift at the office." Erwin fought back a yawn and pulled his pants off. "It was a full day for the both of us."

"Yeah, it was." Levi muted the television and turned onto his side, facing Erwin. His lids were heavy with fatigue as well, but his sleepy gaze was watchful and intrigued on the alpha. "All that fucking we did while I was in heat burned a lot of energy too. However..."

Levi's pale gaze meandered up and down Erwin's tall form suggestively. "If you're in the mood for more..."

Despite his exhaustion, Erwin felt his groin stir in a valiant effort to come to attention. Even his dick was tired, though. He smirked down at it a bit ruefully, and then cast an apologetic look his companion's way. "I'm afraid this soldier might need a bit of TLC before he can salute properly tonight."

Levi folded the covers down on Erwin's side of the bed, revealing a naked hip and outer thigh. He hadn't bothered with pajamas or underwear for bed, so Erwin followed his example and removed his boxer briefs. Once stripped, he joined his mate and pulled the covers up over the both of them. They embraced after Levi turned off the television, and Erwin stroked the vampire's raven hair, admiring his shadowed face.

"If you want to, I'm sure I could perform with a bit of playing," suggested Erwin in a murmur, though his eyelids were feeling weighed down. "You always manage to get me worked up, no matter how tired I feel."

Levi's eyes opened to regard him. He seemed to consider it, catching his lower lip between his front teeth as if debating the offer. "Sure. Just don't get rough tonight. This is one time I don't think I can take much of a pounding from that cock of yours."

"Levi, we don't have to—"

"Oi, just because I'm tired and a little sore doesn't mean I'm not willing to get a little action before we go to sleep. You've been going away on business a lot, so I'd better get my Erwin in while I can."

Erwin chuckled softly, and he kissed Levi on the nose. They were both in the same pickle, he realized. Both of them too weary to make love, but neither of them willing to admit it. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to give it a try, at any rate. Either they would succeed in coitus, or one of them would cave and admit he just wanted to sleep.

"All right then. The verdict is unanimous." Erwin slid his hand down under the sheets, skimming his palm over the smooth, pale skin beneath them. He cupped Levi's bottom and then started rubbing it.

"You sound less like a crime lord and more like a lawyer every day," purred Levi against the alpha's throat, also exploring his body with his hands.

"Honestly, I've found very little difference between the two," excused Erwin dryly. His eyes drifted shut despite his best efforts, but his hands remained busy. He reached around to the omega's front, seeking out his goods. Gripping his length, Erwin started stroking Levi off slowly.

"Mmm, that's nice," hummed the smaller man. He pumped into Erwin's grip, and he reciprocated.

"It is," agreed Erwin, fighting off a yawn.

"Nice" wasn't what they normally shot for when they got frisky. Of course, neither of them were feeling particularly frisky right now. Levi was only half hard in Erwin's hand, and the alpha himself faired little better. Nevertheless, the couple kept fondling each other. The encounter never evolved beyond that, unfortunately. Erwin could tell when his mate fell asleep on him by the deep, easy rhythm of his breathing and Levi's stroking slowed to a couple of instinctive pumps every few seconds. Somewhat relieved to be off the hook, Erwin kept it up for a few more minutes before he too lost the battle to stay awake.

"Love you," he mumbled to Levi just as he fell asleep.

* * *

-To be continued


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seems like my muses for this story have come back, and it's not going to end at chapter 40 as I initially planned. I'm not sure exactly how many more chapters it will have before it's wrapped up, but I doubt it will be more than five. Hope you enjoy this one, and thank you for all the kudos and feedback!

Levi wasn't as quick to let it go that he and Erwin fell asleep on each other while trying to make love. He tried to, but after three days with no real sex to make up for the lapse, he was both frustrated and depressed. Eren of course noticed his discontent, and he finally said something after finishing an online class on his computer.

"Levi, what's bothering you?" Eren took a seat beside Levi on the back patio. Armin was currently taking care of the smaller kids and Lance was upstairs playing video games, so they had a moment to speak alone.

"What makes you think something's bothering me?" Levi flipped to the next section of the newspaper, staring at the text with absurd concentration.

"I could hear your teeth gritting from across the dining room at breakfast." Eren tilted his head, watching the older omega studiously. "Don't you think I know you well enough to figure it out when you're stifling yourself? You've been my friend and mentor for years now."

"Maybe I'm just distracted by the situation with shitty glasses and Petra," excused Levi.

"I'd believe that if Erwin weren't personally organizing Hange's legal representation. You trust him too much to believe for a second that he would let the state take that baby away from them, so why won't you tell me what's _really_ bothering you?"

Levi sighed. Eren wasn't going to let this go. The guy was like a dog with a bone whenever he wanted something, and he'd keep pestering until Levi snapped and either gave it up or punched him out of annoyance.

"I just haven't gotten any for a few days, all right?"

"Oh." Eren frowned a little. "Why, because of what Lance said the other day about catching you stripping for Erwin?"

Levi went still, wondering if that was indeed the root cause behind Erwin not reaching for him immediately at night. Maybe his spouse was more embarrassed about it than he'd been letting on. "I'm not sure," he admitted after a few moments of reflection. "Maybe. I didn't think about that. Usually the man can't keep his hands off me. Shit, that night we even _tried_ to get it on, but we fell asleep during foreplay. Woke up the next morning with our hands still on each other's junk."

"Wow. Okay. Um..." Eren considered the problem for a second. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, Levi. Everyone has a slow period now and then, right?"

"What would _you_ know about it?" demanded Levi irritably, peering at the other omega over the top of his newspaper. "You've got two partners, and one of them is an alpha. When was the last time you went to bed without getting off?"

"Uh...well...er..."

"And you know what they say about husbands that have a sudden decline of interest in the bedroom," Levi went on.

"No, what do they say?"

Realizing he was drifting into the realm of paranoia, Levi tried to calm himself. "Nothing. Forget it."

"Hey, are you suggesting you think Erwin might be getting it somewhere else?"

Levi stared at Eren, and he thinned his lips, silently answering the question.

"Oh, come on." Eren shook his head, wearing an openly dubious expression on his tan face. "Erwin would never betray you like that. Even _I_ know that, and I don't have the pair-bond with him like you do. You've been reading too many of Petra's magazines."

Levi blinked. Eren wasn't exactly wrong about that. Petra had given him some of her women's magazines because there were some recipes and housekeeping tips in them that she thought Levi might like. Sometimes when he was flipping through them and feeling bored enough, he'd read the articles...and there were quite a few about improving one's love life and warning signs to watch out for in a marriage.

He would know it if Erwin was straying, Levi was sure of it. He'd sense it no matter how adept Erwin was at keeping secrets, Eren was right about that. He was also right about Erwin's loyalty. No matter how often his work took him away from home, Levi couldn't really believe the man would seek out a cheap thrill or start an affair when he had a willing ex stripper waiting for him at home.

"All right," Levi allowed, "so it's a stretch to suspect him of cheating, but something's up his craw and giving him the limp dick."

"Have you tried initiating anything?" asked Eren.

"Sure. I haven't been pushy about it, but I let him know I'm interested."

"Hmm. Maybe you're being too subtle and he thinks you're still embarrassed about what Lance said. Why don't you just talk to him?"

Levi sighed. "I don't know how to bring the subject up. Look who you're talking to, Jaeger. I'm a fish out of water when it comes to socializing, remember?"

Eren grimaced. "That's true. Maybe you're being too subtle about making your moves on him, then. If talking doesn't work, do what you do best: use action."

"I don't know about that." Levi's brows pinched uncertainly. "I've never had to work hard to get him going. It just feels like the spark is starting to die out between us."

"I don't think that's...oh hey, Armin." Eren's response was interrupted when his blond partner came out carrying Damon in his arms. The child was whimpering, and Armin cast an apologetic look at both omegas.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I think he wants you, Eren. He's teething again and I just can't seem to console him enough."

Eren got out of the lawn chair and held his arms out for his son. "It's okay. I'll take him. Levi, can we finish talking later? I'm not trying to blow you off."

"It's fine. I don't think there's much more to add to the conversation anyway. Take care of your kid."

Levi watched as Eren comforted the boy and Damon settled down a little. Eren was definitely Damon's favorite, and it was a little amazing to see the omega that Levi had come to know as an impulsive klutz handle a child so well. He'd grown up. They all had...even Kenny. As Levi watched Eren and Armin interact with their son, he realized how selfishly he himself had lived before he got involved with Erwin. Sure, he took care of his fellow dancers and worked to pay off the debt he owed to his uncle, but Levi's thoughts had never gone far past the immediate future in those days.

Unfortunately, while some of them had grown up from the days of partying and living only for the next day, Levi couldn't shake the feeling that he and Erwin were just growing old.

* * *

Erwin got a call from an old college buddy on his way home from the firm, and he was excited to share the news with his mate that Patrick Cameron would be staying with them for a while until he got settled in to a new place.

"Wait, who is this?" Levi demanded after hearing the news.

"He's an old frat brother," explained the blond. "I haven't seen him in years. He's transferring to another office here, but the apartment he wants isn't going to be available for a few weeks. You don't mind if we put him up in a spare room for a bit, do you? He just needs a place to stay until he gets settled in."

Levi didn't look terribly enthused. "I've never met this guy."

"That will be remedied when he gets here," reasoned Erwin. He rubbed his mate's shoulders. "Look, it's only for a little while, and I think you would like him. He's a lot like me. Besides, he'll be working during the day and we've got plenty of room. I promise you, he won't get in the way."

"Is he an omega?"

"No, he's an alpha."

Levi relaxed a little. "Gay or straight?"

"Bisexual," answered the blond. "What does it matter?"

Levi shrugged. "I'm just curious as to what sort of dates we might expect him to bring here while he's staying...if I agree to it. Plus I wouldn't feel comfortable with an 'old friend' of yours hanging around if he's an omega."

Erwin smiled. "Well, you don't have to worry about that. Patrick got a lot of attention from all types and genders in college, but he wasn't a player like me. He's recently divorced, and I doubt he's ready to get back into the dating game with anyone. He just wants a fresh start, and having a bit of peace and quiet here for a while would do him some good."

The omega watched him silently for a few minutes, and Erwin wondered if he would refuse to agree with his request. Finally, Levi gave a nod. He finished his cup of tea, and he got up from the breakfast nook table to wash it. "All right. I'll trust you on this and try to be a decent host to him. You did warn him that I cuss impulsively like a sailor, right?"

"Yes. In fact I let him know that you could scandalize the filthiest sailors with your vulgarities. I spoke about you quite a bit, in fact. He's anxious to meet you and the kids."

Levi nodded. "I see. When will he be getting in?"

"This Thursday. His flight is scheduled to arrive at 2:15 pm...which brings me to another favor I have to ask of you."

Levi sighed, shut the dishwashing machine and turned to face the blond. "Don't ask me to pick him up, Erwin."

"I wouldn't, but you know Hange's got to be at court on the same day. I promised her I would be present for it, and there's a good chance that I won't be getting out of there in time to collect Patrick myself."

"Then send a car for him, or have him get a cab," suggested Levi. "Eren's got class on campus that day, so I'm going to have all four of the brats. I can pawn Lance off on one of his classmate's family when he gets out of school, but I'd have to take the little ones with me."

"There's enough room in your car to fit all three baby seats in the back."

Levi's eyes widened briefly. "Are you being purposely dense, or what? You're asking me to drive through heavy traffic with three toddlers, all under two years old. Don't you think your frat bro is going to be a little uncomfortable? Not to fucking mention, how am I supposed to keep an eye out for him while I'm trying to manage those three at the same time?"

Erwin wasn't discouraged. "Levi, you can multitask with the best of them. I have faith in you. Besides, you don't have to go into the terminal to get Patrick. You can drive through the pick up lane. The airport staff will help him load his luggage into the trunk and he can get right in the passenger seat."

"I don't know, Erwin. I know you said the guy's enthusiastic about meeting us, but that might be some overkill. You know how loud Damon can get when his gums are hurting him."

Erwin closed the distance, and he cupped his companion's face in his hands. "Then we should hire a nanny or find a sitter. I've been trying to convince you to do that for—"

"I'm not letting strangers raise my kids," interrupted Levi. "We've been managing fine, and Eren's usually available when his schoolwork doesn't require him to be physically on campus for classes. You know how I feel about hiring help."

"Then what would you suggest?" demanded Erwin, finally allowing some frustration to seep into his tone. "That I should abandon Hange?"

"I told you already. Send a car for him or arrange a taxi."

Erwin's mouth tightened with frustration. He knew Levi worked hard to take care of their kids, keep the house in order, work on his writing projects and help with management of the dance club, but he really didn't think this was such an unreasonable request. They had cleaning help, Levi worked on his own schedule and the youngest children were still small enough to manage without too much trouble.

"Levi, I haven't seen him in years. It would feel too impersonal to have a cab or limo driver pick him up."

Levi glowered up at him. "The way you talk, I'd think you two were boyfriends."

Erwin blinked. "Don't be ridiculous. I told you, we were just good friends. You know alphas have never caught my interest."

"Well, you're awfully excited about seeing him, and you're busting your ass to make sure he gets the royal treatment."

That was when Erwin realized he wasn't just imagining what he was sensing right now from his mate. "Levi...are you jealous?"

The omega lowered his dagger-like gaze, letting the dark shadow of his eyelashes shadow them—but not quickly enough for Erwin to miss the supernatural glow briefly flash in his irises. "No."

Erwin caught Levi's shoulders in his hands as the smaller man turned away. He urged him to turn back around to face him. "What is it? I know it's an inconvenience at such short notice, but we've had much more than one guest staying in this house before. Why are you so resentful?"

Levi still wouldn't look at him, and Erwin detected...sadness?

"Lover, you have to talk to me," urged the blond. "Our bond only goes so far to let me know what you're feeling. I can't tell what you're thinking just by picking up on some of your emotions. Did something happen today to upset you? Did _I_ do something to upset you?"

There was a noise from somewhere upstairs, and Levi glanced up at the ceiling. "Later. I should go and check on our kids. Armin's been taking care of them all day and I think they're ganging up on him."

"Don't divert," chided Erwin. "Armin can handle them for a little while longer. I'm your alpha...your mate. Tell me what's bothering you."

Levi shrugged, and he finally met the taller male's gaze. "It just feels like we're losing our fire. You used to be all over me the minute you got home. That hasn't happened in a while. I get that you've been busy managing the law firm on top of working with the syndicate, and I know you make time for your family when you can. Problem is, all we seem to get lately is _family_ time. It might sound fucking selfish of me, but I want more personal time. I want us to go to bed without falling to sleep right away."

"Well, we both tried the other night," reminded Erwin. "You were just as tired as I was. We've both been very busy."

"That never stopped us before," reasoned Levi. "The only thing that used to keep us from getting it on once we started was someone or something else interrupting us."

It was on the tip of Erwin's tongue to remind Levi that it had only been a few days, and the last time they'd made love was during Levi's heat, and it had lasted nearly a full day. He refrained from saying it though, because Levi wasn't wrong. Erwin did usually take every opportunity to have sex with him—especially when they'd been away from each other due to business obligations.

"Levi, we're fine," he told him instead, speaking in a soft, gentle tone. "My desire for you is as strong now as it was when I first laid eyes on you."

"If that's true, then why haven't you tried to fuck me since the night we fell asleep in the middle of it?"

Erwin sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Because I'm stressed and overworked, to be honest with you. I'm trying to keep Hange out of jail and ensure that her and Petra don't lose custody of their new son over this misunderstanding. In addition to that, I'm doing my best to keep up with my usual work responsibilities, be a good father to our children and be a good spouse to you. I'm just a bit overwhelmed, and my libido has taken a back seat lately while I juggle all of this."

As an afterthought, Erwin hastily added: "My libido is just fine too, before you question that."

Levi managed a little smirk, and he glanced pointedly at Erwin's crotch. "You sure about that? All it usually takes is an inviting look from me to get a 'rise' out of you."

Erwin shrugged. "True enough. Let's just say I've been too distracted to indulge in my baser urges." He cupped Levi's chin, tilted his head back and lowered his mouth to his for a kiss. "That doesn't mean I don't want you, and I'm not deliberately trying to neglect you. Just try to be patient with me, and once this trial is over with and things have settled down, I promise to take you out on a romantic outing. We could ask Eren and his partners to watch the kids for a weekend, and we can go to my penthouse or check into a resort. Just the two of us. How does that sound?"

"Hmm." Levi seemed to consider it. "What would we be doing over this romantic weekend you have in mind?"

"Besides the obvious?" Erwin smiled charmingly, his gaze roving over Levi meaningfully. "I'd wine and dine you, take you to a show if you like, maybe a spa day. I'd like to treat you like the treasure you are to me."

Levi's expression softened, his lips parting slightly. "Well, you get points for smooth-talking. If you hadn't already treated me to dates like that in the past, I'd suspect you of blowing smoke up my ass to pacify me."

The omega stepped closer to Erwin, and he put his arms around his waist. "But I know you mean it when you say things like that to me now. Even if it takes a while for you to clear your schedule to do it, you never go back on your promises."

Erwin embraced him in return. "It makes me happy to know you trust in my word. If you'll just help me out with this and tolerate having a guest in the house for a while, I'll have less pressure on my shoulders and I can dedicate more time to our personal relationship. What do you say, lover?"

Levi sighed, visibly caving. "All right. If it'll help our sex life and make things easier on you, I'll manage it. I'm not keen on leaving him alone in our house while we're away on this weekend you want to plan, though."

"Patrick can be trusted," assured Erwin. "If I thought otherwise, I wouldn't invite him into our home. He's a successful businessman with plenty of money of his own. Well, for the most part, anyway. His wife got half of his assets and gets alimony from him, but he's still not hurting financially. He isn't going to rob us while we're away, and don't forget we have other people living here, if that will put you at ease."

"I guess I'm being paranoid," admitted Levi softly. "You know I don't trust people easily. Maybe once I meet him myself and get a feel for him, I won't be so wary."

"I really think you'll like him," enthused Erwin. "Thank you for being so accommodating and giving this a chance."

"I'm really doing it for selfish reasons." Levi smirked up at him. "I'm thinking with my dick, here. If doing this means I'll get more sex out of it, I'm willing to make some sacrifices."

Erwin chuckled, and he let his hands slide down over Levi's tight little ass. "It will help our love life, I'm sure of it. How could I stay away from this sexy little body for long? Every inch of you is toned, sensual and beautiful...and not just to me."

"Not just to you, eh? Who else says that?" There was a teasing glint in the omega's pale eyes.

"You haven't heard about the club patrons asking what ever happened to the gorgeous guy with the black hair that used to dance there?" Erwin grinned at him. "You still have a fan base there, and they miss seeing you on that stage."

"Tch, please. They've got plenty of tits, ass and dick to look at. I'm sure you're exaggerating."

"No, I'm not," insisted Erwin. "Petra mentioned it to me just the other day. Both you and Eren are still stars in the eyes of the regulars that used to frequent the club during your stripping days."

"I've never noticed anyone asking me for autographs when I go there to check in on the place," scoffed Levi.

"Probably because they're too intimidated by you. I'll bet they'd like an autograph, though. Surely people have stared at you and you noticed."

Levi shrugged. "They know I help manage the place. I guess I'm easy on the eyes to some of them, but I never pay attention."

Erwin laughed heartily, endeared to his mate. "That's one of the things I love about you; you're so humble about your own appeal."

"I wouldn't say that. When it comes to you, I'm usually anything but humble. I don't make it a secret that I know how to push your buttons. On a normal day, anyhow."

"Yes, but you've never been one to let it go to your head, even when you know me or someone else is admiring your looks. A lot of people would gain an ego over that, but you're so down to earth."

"Yeah, yeah. Now would you just shut up and kiss me, you big blond bastard?"

Erwin obliged him without hesitation, lowering his head to kiss the smaller man on the mouth. The kiss deepened, and Levi rubbed his palm over the alpha's broad chest. His lips parted, and he caressed Erwin's tongue with his own. Erwin's body heated, pooling in his groin and making it swell. Suddenly all of his responsibilities seemed far away and unimportant to him. His focus narrowed to the sensual creature in his arms, and a thrill went through him from head to toe. His. This beautiful, enigmatic omega was his, and his alone.

Their breath quickened in unison. Erwin pulled Levi tighter against him, feeling all of the lean, athletic musculature that made up that perfect body lining up against his larger frame. Size difference notwithstanding, Levi felt like every inch of him was made to fit flawlessly against Erwin. Fatigue got overtaken by desire, and Erwin backed Levi up against the counter. He had a wild, impulsive idea to lift him and set him on it, but a familiar young voice pierced through his lust and acted as a splash of cold water.

"Dad, come and look! I beat my own record at Road Ruckus!"

Erwin broke the kiss hastily, pulling away from his partner with regret. Trying to calm his pulse and slow his breathing, he smiled at their son. "Fantastic. Now I'll have to try and outscore you."

"You'll never do it," teased Lance. "You drive like an old man."

"An old man, is it?" Erwin raised a brow at the boy. "Challenge accepted. Prepare to be schooled, son. I'm going to show you how it's done."

He turned to give Levi an apologetic glance, wishing he could have taken things further and proved to Levi then and there that his sex drive was still very much alive and well. It would have to wait for another opportunity, though. Levi had a resigned look on his face, and he nodded in silent understanding.

"Go teach the kid some humility, Erwin. I'm going to go and check on Jane while you kick his butt."

Erwin never got used to Levi censoring himself the way he did around their children, but he was grateful. He went upstairs with Lance, knowing full well that he was all bluster. While he and Lance did play the racing game and the baseball game together frequently, Erwin wasn't about to kid himself into thinking he'd ever trump his son's gaming skills.

* * *

The day of Patrick Cameron's arrival came, and Levi fussed with his godson's car seat as he tried to get the boy to hold still long enough for him to secure the safety belt.

"Damon, be still. We're going to be late picking up Uncle Erwin's friend from the airport. I need you to behave for me and stop squirming."

Damon pouted at Levi resentfully. He obviously understood most of what the omega said, even though he only knew how to say a couple of words himself so far. Levi took advantage of the momentary stillness to snap the clasp into place. Damon hated sitting in the car seat, and Eren was thus far the only one that could get him to cooperate without much of an argument.

"There," sighed Levi. He slipped the sunglasses resting on his head down over his face to shade his sensitive eyes from the sun, and he gave each child's seat one last inspection before getting in himself behind the wheel.

"Here we go," he muttered, unenthused. "The things I do for that guy."

Or more accurately, the things he did to get that guy's dick. Levi was so restless with sexual need that it was difficult for him not to squirm in frustration. He wondered if his body was getting ready to spring another heat on him, though it really should be too soon since his last one for that to happen. He pulled out of the garage, closed it and drove out of the half-circle driveway onto the street. Having no need for the assistance of his navigator to get to the airport, he turned it off and turned the stereo on, programming it to the playlist he'd put together specifically for drives with the kids.

Levi gritted his teeth as "Wheels on the Bus" came on, and he tried to shut the music out and put all of his focus in just driving and getting where he needed to go. How many times had he listened to that damned song just to pacify his kids? He knew every word of the lyrics by heart, and sometimes the song got stuck in his head even though he'd come to hate it. It did seem to do the trick though, along with all the other tracks of kid's songs he'd put on that playlist from hell.

He paid careful attention to traffic when he got onto the freeway, overly cautious as he always tended to be when he had any of the children as passengers. He didn't even cuss out the guy that cut him off; at least, not out loud. He made it to the airport after a little over twenty minutes, and he pulled into the terminal pickup lanes. Levi pulled up the photo Erwin had sent him of Patrick, looked at it and then searched the people standing at the curb waiting for their rides. He spotted the man after a couple of seconds, and his brows went up.

Levi had to admit, Patrick Cameron was a looker. Dressed in a button-up shirt with monotone patterns on it and black slacks, he was even better looking in person than he was in his photo. About 6'1 in height with a tan complexion a tad darker than Eren's, the alpha had a head of collar-length, thick auburn hair. It had a natural wave to it, parted in the center with slightly feathered bangs. Though he couldn't tell from the distance with the shades covering them, Levi knew the man had light brown eyes. His face was handsome, not quite as chiseled as Erwin's but definitely the kind of face to turn heads. He had nice lips; not overtly plump, but certainly the kind to inspire thoughts of kissing.

"Great," sighed Levi. "Erwin's convinced me to let a hottie alpha stay with us. Now I'll have _two_ hot men agitating my already hyper libido in our house. Just effing great."

None of the three toddlers in the back seat understood what he was talking about, thank goodness. Levi heaved another sigh, rolled the passenger window down and pulled up to the curb near the man that would be a guest in his home for a month or more.

"Oi, are you Patrick?" he called out.

The man looked his way, and he offered an engaging, attractive smile. "Levi? Is that you?" He walked over to the car and bent over to look through the open window. "You're Erwin's husband, right?"

"Yeah, that's me." Levi glanced over his shoulder at the trio secured in the back. Jane was babbling toddler nonsense and shaking her blue rattle. Harper had fallen fast asleep, and Damon was staring at the newcomer curiously. "You're in luck; the kids aren't being monsters yet. Hop in so we can get out of here before they turn on us."

Patrick chuckled. "Short window, right? I understand. Could you pop the trunk so I can put my luggage in?"

"Sure." Levi did as he was asked, and he waited while the alpha got some help from an airport attendant to load two big, designer suitcases and what appeared to be a nice laptop bag. Patrick got into the passenger seat after tipping the guy that helped him, shut the door and buckled up.

"Thank you for taking the time to come and pick me up personally," offered the alpha. "That was very accommodating of you, Levi. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Levi now understood why Erwin was friends with this guy, and what his mate had meant when Erwin said they were similar. Patrick was obviously a polite individual, and he had the same charismatic charm as Erwin.

"No problem." Levi adjusted his rearview mirror, saw Jane squirming and reaching for something with a distressed look on her face. He turned around in the seat and noticed that her pacifier had fallen onto the seat that her car seat was strapped into, and she couldn't reach it.

"Hold on, midget," he grunted, trying to twist around and reach the item.

"I can get it for her," offered Patrick. He had longer reach than Levi and was in a more convenient spot to get it. He started to offer it to the girl. "Here you go, sweetheart—"

"Hold on," Levi cautioned. "Let me wipe it off first. It fell on the seat."

"Oh. Right." Patrick obligingly gave the pacifier over to the omega, and he waited for Levi to wipe it off with one of the napkins he kept stored in the hump compartment before giving it over to Jane. "This one's your daughter, right?"

Levi nodded, and he re-adjusted his rearview mirror and waited for an opening to pull out. "Yeah. The other two are Harper and Damon. I assume Erwin told you about the parental situation with them?"

"He did. I've got to say, it's one of the more interesting arrangements I've ever heard of. If it works for them, though..." he shrugged.

"Yeah, they make a good team." Levi considered how well Eren and his two partners had fit into his family's life, and he wasn't aware of the tiny smile that graced his lips. "I never thought I'd enjoy the community atmosphere we've got, but I can't argue with the benefits."

"What kind of benefits?"

Levi glanced sidelong at his passenger, wondering how much he should say. He _was_ Erwin's old friend, though. "Well for starters, we all share brat patrol. When Eren's got classes I take care of them. When I'm working on my writing or bills, Eren or the others take over. Erwin watches the kids when he has time, but his work keeps him away a lot. Mikasa's good about keeping the pantries stocked and running errands, and everyone pitches in on chores."

"Don't you have maids?" asked Patrick.

"Yeah, but with four kids and five adults in the house, things still need cleaning between housekeeper visits. There's always laundry and dirty dishes to clean up, too."

"That makes sense. I promise I'll do my share while I'm staying with you. I love kids too, so if you ever need a babysitter when my work schedule isn't in the way, feel free to hit me up."

"Thanks," said Levi, assuming automatically that it was just a courtesy offer. The proof would be in the man's actions rather than his words.

Patrick watched Levi in an assessing way as the omega drove toward the highway ramp. Levi tried not to let it bother him, but he felt like a piece of fruit or a vegetable being tested at the grocery store for ripeness. He finally couldn't avoid saying something.

"What is it? Is there something you want to ask me?"

"Sorry, I was staring," admitted Patrick. "I'm just a little surprised."

Levi's mouth curved down into his customary frown. "By what, exactly?"

"You." Patrick smiled at him. "When Erwin told me he'd pair-bonded with the most stunning omega male on the planet, I figured he was exaggerating. He always used to play up the looks of his love interests, but that isn't the case this time. There's no need. You're everything he said you were."

Levi's face warmed, and he felt uncommonly flustered. "Uh...okay. Thanks."

"I mean it," persisted Patrick. "You really are every bit as gorgeous as he said, and you're as organized and honest as he told me you were."

"Tch. You're only scratching the surface. You aren't going to be so impressed once you see the obsessive compulsive part of it, trust me." Levi was still blushing, and he brought the shade down in an attempt to shadow his face and make it less obvious.

"I'm not coming on to you," said Patrick in an apologetic tone. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Levi. Erwin always says I speak my thoughts a little too freely. I should have been less enthusiastic with my compliments."

Levi found himself relaxing. Speaking his mind was something he was very familiar with, and now he had some common grounds with this man. "It's okay. At least you were trying to be honest. If you'd touched my knee or something while saying that, I'd have shoved you out of the car and left you stranded. I wouldn't have slowed, either."

Patrick whistled softly. "He wasn't kidding about that, either."

"About what?"

"You really don't play around," obliged the alpha. "I'll do my best not to get on your bad side."

"See that you don't," advised Levi with a half-smirk.

* * *

Levi asked some questions of his own on the ride home. He found out that while Patrick did have a quirky sense of humor like Erwin, the guy seemed to be a little more honest and less guarded than Levi's spouse. He asked about his divorce briefly, but he didn't press Patrick when he sensed the man's somber angst over it. All Patrick said was that he and his former wife Naomi grew apart and it didn't work out the way he'd hoped. Patrick didn't speak ill of her, to his credit. He just said they lost their connection over time and mutually decided it was best to separate. Never fantastic at expressing himself, Levi did his best to offer condolences without pressing the issue.

They made it back to the house, and Patrick helped Levi unload the kids and get them fed and settled in. He was good with the kids, Levi discovered. He calmed Harper when she fussed over getting woken up. He didn't mind it when Damon threw a gob of strained peas in his face. Levi observed him as he fed his own daughter, trying to get a better feel of him. As far as he could tell so far, Patrick was just as Erwin said he would be.

"I appreciate the help," he offered once they got all of the toddlers rounded up and put down for their afternoon nap. "Let's get your luggage to the room you'll be staying in, shall we?"

Patrick agreed with a nod, and Levi took him up to the third floor where the guest room they'd chosen for him was located. "Sorry it's all the way at the top," he said to the alpha after opening the door to show him the room. "We used to have guests stay on the second floor, but now that we've got five adults and four kids living here, all those rooms are taken. The bathroom is right next door and it's all yours, so you don't have to worry about sharing with anyone."

"This is great," assured Patrick, setting down his luggage. "Erwin said you had plenty of room, but he didn't tell me how big this place was. He's been holding out on me, it seems."

Levi smirked. "Erwin isn't one of those guys that needs to brag. I think half the reason he bought a place with so many rooms was because he likes to entertain guests. Work associates, friends, that kind of thing. People usually end up staying overnight when we have parties here."

"Erwin always was big on socializing," remarked Patrick with a smile. He looked out the window to appreciate the view. "This really is some place you've got here. Don't tell me you keep it maintained without some kind of hired help."

"Hell no. Even with everyone pitching in, it's too much to manage without some kind of help. We've got cleaners that come in three times a week. They mostly take care of the upper floors and the kitchen, but you should know they're here on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If you don't want your bedroom cleaned, just lock the door. Oh yeah...here's a copy of the key, by the way."

Levi fished said key out of his pocket and offered it to Patrick. "Everyone here will respect your privacy. I've already spoken with Lance and he knows not to come bugging you if your door is shut. That being said, prepare to have a shit-ton of questions thrown at you by him."

Patrick took the key with a grin. "I don't mind. In fact, I thought I'd do a little grocery shopping when I've gotten rested up, and I would like to make dinner some night. I'll rent a car in the next couple of days and pick up ingredients for a meal. A family gathering should give us all the chance to get familiar, and I make a damned good beef Wellington, if I do say so myself."

"That's a good idea," approved Levi. "Do you need a lift into town to rent your car?"

"No, no, that's all right. Unless you need to go into town yourself, I'm not going to ask you to do that. You've got your hands full here."

"No kidding," sighed the omega. Erwin was right about this guy. He liked him already, and that wasn't an easy accomplishment for most strangers to achieve. Patrick did seem to share some traits with Erwin, other than being blindingly handsome. Levi heard the high-pitched crying of his daughter from all the way downstairs as he contemplated this, and he groaned softly. The kids. He still had three kids to look after, so he couldn't afford to spend much more time giving this man a tour of the house.

"Do you need any help with the kids?" offered Patrick, further endearing himself to Levi without even trying. "I know they're all still babies, but they still outnumber you."

Levi almost cracked a smile. "No, I can handle it. Get yourself settled in and grab a bite to eat from the kitchen, if you want. You can help yourself; just make sure to clean up afterwards. Oh, and there's a jug in the fridge labeled with mine and Lance's names on it. That's our protein drink, so don't mess with it."

Patrick nodded, looking politely ignorant but refraining from asking questions. Erwin mustn't have presented the excuse they'd come up with that Levi and Lance both suffered vitamin deficiencies. No matter, though. As long as Patrick didn't get into that container and figure out it was full of blood, they could present the excuse later.

* * *

They had pizza and hot wings delivered that night for dinner. It was Eren's idea, of course. Mikasa wasn't there due to her business responsibilities, but everyone else was present. The conversation over dinner was filled with an exchange of questions, and many of them predictably came from Lance. Erwin and Patrick reminisced about the old days in university, which led to Levi learning more about his mate's youthful years. It didn't surprise him at all to hear about all of Erwin's sexual conquests, though Patrick had the good taste to keep it subtle in front of Lance. None of it was lost on Levi, and though the encounters mentioned by Patrick happened years before Levi ever met Erwin, it still made jealousy stir in his breast.

"So just how thick was your 'little black book'?" Levi asked his mate, wiping sauce from the hot wings off of his fingers. "Sounds like you raked in a lot of contacts in your college days."

Erwin cast an uncomfortable glance at their son before answering. Fortunately, Lance was busy picking all of the bell pepper pieces off of his second helping of pizza. "It isn't as bad as Patrick makes it sound. Most of them were just casual dates and—"

"You had the warning sock hanging on our dorm door every other night," Patrick cut in with a laugh. "I spent more nights sleeping in hotel rooms or crashing on friends' couches than I did in my own bed."

"Not helping, Pat," warned Erwin, averting his gaze from Levi's. "Not all of those nights ended up in...certain activities. If you'd just waited a while you could have come in."

"We didn't have mobile phones back then to send texts," excused Patrick with a shrug. "And we never had an answering machine in our dorm. Unless I wanted to stand by a pay phone and wait for a call back that might or might not happen, I didn't have much of a choice. How was I supposed to know how long it would take for that sock to come off the doorknob?"

"Why did you put a _sock_ on the doorknob, Dad?" Lance asked, finally picking up on the conversation now that he'd cleared all of the hated bell peppers from his pizza slice. "Papa would kill you if you pulled something like that here."

Armin coughed into his napkin, hiding his amusement politely. He nudged his partner warningly when Eren parted his lips to offer an explanation that probably wouldn't be very conservative. Erwin rescued the situation as best he could.

"It was common practice in my day to hang a sock on the doorknob to let your college roommate know that you were with a date and didn't want to be disturbed. With limited space and privacy, it was the best way for us to bring home a date without getting interrupted. Patrick and I used to do that to signal each other."

Lance didn't seem to get it. "Why would you keep your roommate out of your place, though? Why couldn't they just hang out with you and your date?"

Erwin hesitated for a moment, wondering how he could explain it sufficiently to his son without subjecting him to more adult information than he was ready to process. "Sometimes when people like each other and want to get to know each other, they want to be alone together. It will be easier to understand when you're older, but a date is typically two people—"

Eren cleared his throat, and Erwin arched a brow at him. "Sometimes three," he amended with a smirk. "The point is, a date is a special occasion set up for people to bond with each other. Having another person there who isn't involved in that date can throw off the balance and make it less intimate. Does that make sense?"

"I guess." Lance frowned. "Did you and papa go on a lot of dates before you had me?"

Erwin again struggled inwardly to answer that, his mind automatically going to all the times he'd scent-marked Levi with dubious consent at best, and how many times he'd fucked him blind in the VIP room before they even had an actual relationship established.

"Yes, we went on dates," Levi supplied, coming to Erwin's aid without prompting. "Granted, it was a little rocky at first, but your dad cleaned up his act. Matter of fact, he's making plans to take me on a special weekend soon."

Erwin didn't miss the pointed look Levi threw at him, a quiet reminder of the promise he'd made. He swallowed the bite of pizza he'd taken, and he wiped his mouth with his napkin before nodding. "Yes, that's right. Now that Aunt Hange's situation is taken care of, I'm going to make arrangements to take a holiday weekend sometime soon with your father. Eren, Armin, do you think you could help us out with that? Mind watching the children for us?"

"Of course we can do that," agreed Armin solicitously. "You work really hard. Between the three of us, I think we can manage to care for the children over a weekend."

"I can help out with that too," offered Patrick. "Granted, I have to work some Saturdays, but it's usually a half day if I do."

"We're grateful to all of you for the help." Erwin smiled at his mate. "It's been some time since we've enjoyed a vacation together."

His gaze bore a silent promise to Levi that he would make it a memorable event. Erwin noticed Patrick gazing at Levi as well, and his smile faded. He'd told Levi that he wouldn't have to worry about his friend causing any problems, but he'd been referring to Patrick and himself. It didn't occur to him until now that Levi might not be the one that needed to be concerned.

* * *

-To be continued


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm deathly ill with the flu and a high fever right now, so please forgive any mistakes I might have missed while proofreading this chapter.

Though Erwin had promised things would heat back up between them once he had less on his plate, he seemed to stay just as busy and work just as late after Hange's day at court. He said he was just busy wrapping up legal paperwork to ensure Hange and Petra's son was safe from being claimed by the state. There was also the matter of one of the syndicate members getting into a car accident and being charged with reckless driving, so the firm was trying to clear that up as well.

"Just what the hell happened, anyway?" Levi asked when he found out the person of subject was Connie Springer. "I know the kid can be flaky, but he's usually one of the better drivers I've been in a car with."

"It's a ridiculous story," Erwin told him, in the process of straightening up his suit and straightening his tie. "You aren't going to believe it."

"Try me," challenged Levi, coming up behind his mate. He brushed some lint off Erwin's shoulders and leaned to the side to look at him through the reflection of the full-length mirror on the closet door. "I can believe just about anything, when it comes to syndicate shenanigans."

Erwin finished with his tie, and he turned around to face the omega. "Well, there was a misunderstanding. Don't ask me what possessed him to do it, but Connie was on his way back from a collection assignment, and he saw these girls walking down the street. Connie decided it would be funny to prank them and give them a scare."

Levi frowned. "What kind of scare? Throwing rubber spiders at them?"

"No. While he was passing by them, he hollered out the window at them. His plan worked better than he expected. One of the girls was so startled that she shot him in the face with a can of mace. Naturally it blinded him and closed up his throat, so Connie veered into a light pole and got knocked out when the airbag deployed."

"Tch. What a moron." Levi shook his head, and he brushed his hands over Erwin's suit jacket to smooth out imaginary wrinkles. In truth, it was just an excuse to feel those hard muscles concealed beneath the material. "I never understood what compels idiots to troll pedestrians and bicyclists like that. You'd think they would grow out of it once they graduate highschool, but some assholes never mature. I thought Connie was better than that."

"So did I, and I made sure to let him know I was disappointed in him. He said it was just an impulse and not something he'd normally do. Personally, I think he was frustrated because he still hasn't gotten anywhere with Sasha."

"That's his fault," Levi pointed out, "not some random girls trying to mind their own business and go shopping, or whatever they were doing. He needs to suck it up and either find the courage to ask her out, or move on and get over it."

"I wholeheartedly agree, but in the meantime, he has traffic charges to deal with and he needs representation. I've got half a mind to just let him eat the entire fine and learn his lesson from it, but Mike insists on trying to minimize the damages. I don't have much of a choice in this."

"Hmph. Then you should just assign one of your people to it and wash your hands of it," suggested Levi. He put his arms around the alpha, gazing up at him with heavy-lidded eyes. "Why don't you do that and just stay in for the day? I know how I could help you relax."

Erwin smiled in a semi-strained manner at him. "Mike wants me personally supervising this. The good news is that I shouldn't be at the office for long today. I may make it home by lunch, in fact."

Levi checked a sigh. He was getting very tired of waiting for Erwin to have the time and energy to satisfy him, but whining for sex wasn't his style. "Fine. The interest rate on what you owe me is going up, though."

The blond chuckled, and he bent over to give Levi a quick kiss on the lips. "Don't worry; I've been saving up to pay back that interest, and you'll get it in full as soon as I'm able to pay it back."

* * *

Seeing as it was a weekend, Patrick had the day off. He was in his dark brown robe, working on something on his laptop computer when Levi saw Erwin off to work and went into the kitchen to start making breakfast. Eren and Mikasa had taken all of the kids to the local fair for the day, and Armin was at some kind of literature convention out of town. Levi and Patrick had the house all to themselves for the day. It didn't really occur to the omega until he started doing his usual routine and remembered he only had two people to cook for, rather than nine.

"Holy shit," he muttered to himself, staring blankly into the refrigerator. It was fully stocked, and grocery day wasn't until Monday. "Who went shopping?"

"I did," answered Patrick from his seat at the counter bar. "I thought I'd start out helping by pitching in on the food supplies. You've got a lot of mouths to feed already, without me adding a tenth."

"Thanks." Levi got out the carton of eggs and set it on the counter. "How do you like your eggs?"

Patrick glanced up from the computer screen. "You don't have to cook for me, Levi."

"Might as well. Hell, I was prepared to cook for a lot more people before I remembered it's just us, so this is nothing."

Patrick smiled. "In that case, make it over-easy."

"You want one or two?"

"Two, please. Oh, there's some freshly brewed coffee if you want some, too."

"I'll pour a cup after I get this started." Levi set a pan on the stove, greased it up with some cooking spray and started cracking eggs into it. Patrick liked his eggs the same way Levi did, so there was no need to use a second pan. He wasn't really interested in what Patrick was doing on his computer, but for the sake of being polite he asked anyway. "What are you doing over there?"

"Browsing furniture sets online for when my new house is ready," answered the alpha. "I don't want to move in only to have nowhere to sit or sleep. I've got to try and organize to have all of this stuff delivered on the day after I move in."

"Sounds smart. Do you want toast with your eggs, or bacon?"

"Toast would probably be easier and less messy."

Levi nodded, and he got out some bread to prep it for the toaster. Once he got it buttered up and put in, he retrieved his container of blood from the back of the fridge. Casting a covert glance Patrick's way, he shook it up and got out an opaque black glass to pour it into, concealing the liquid to make it less suspicious looking to onlookers. Levi warmed up his drink in the microwave and added some garnishment to it. Erwin had already blended it for him and Lance, so there was only a minimal need to doctor it up himself.

Levi felt Patrick's eyes on him as he stirred his drink and took an experimental sip of it. He tried to ignore the man's stare. Levi wasn't oblivious to the fact that a lot of people found him attractive, especially alphas. He should have been used to getting looks by now, but he'd been off the stage for a while now, and he wasn't as familiar with being stared at as he once was.

"What's that like?" asked Patrick after Levi grimaced over the thickness of his drink. "I know you and your son have a vitamin deficiency of some kind. Do you have to drink that every day?"

Levi swallowed and nodded. Deciding it would only rouse suspicion if he acted like he had something to hide, he set the drink down on the counter bar and checked the progress of the eggs. He then got a coffee mug out of the cabinet and poured himself some of the brew Patrick had made.

"It's okay. Could be worse. Erwin's got a way with flavoring it up so it tastes better, but I wouldn't recommend drinking it if you don't have to."

"I see." Patrick's light brown gaze remained on Levi. "Maybe some day they'll come up with a better treatment for both of you so that you don't have to drink that every day anymore."

"Maybe."

If someone found a way to break the Ackerman curse and cure the family vampirism, that was. Patrick didn't know about that, however, so Levi just went along with his assumptions. He concentrated on cooking, and when the food was done he plated it up and set Patrick's next to his laptop. He joined the alpha at the counter bar, refusing to let his scrutiny rattle him. As he ate, he felt the man's gaze still on him.

"What?" Levi finally said, putting his fork down and glaring at Patrick. To hell with manners. This alpha wasn't showing any toward him, staring at him so much. "You're gonna burn a hole in me if you stare any harder. Is something on your mind, or what?"

Patrick smiled in a way that reminded Levi a lot of Erwin. "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to figure you out. I didn't realize I was staring so much."

Levi sighed, and he picked up his fork again, along with his knife. He cut into the slice of toast and the eggs on top of it, slicing them into bite-sized pieces. "It's customary to ask someone if there's something you want to know about them, not creep them out leering at them."

"Again, I'm sorry. It's just that you aren't a very easy person to read. Pardon me for saying so, but you aren't the sort of person I'd have expected Erwin to end up with."

"What kind of person did you expect?" asked Levi. "Someone like Marie, perhaps?"

Patrick shrugged, and he ate a bite of his breakfast and sipped his coffee before answering. "Once upon a time, yes. That ship sailed a long time ago, though. I guess Erwin's taste has changed over the years."

"Am I supposed to take that as a compliment or an insult?"

"Neither, really. It's just an observation about Erwin, not about your personality or looks...which by the way are both impressive."

"Uh, thanks." Levi resumed eating, unsure of what else to say. He was getting dangerously close to warming up too much to this guy, and he blamed it on the similarities between Patrick and Erwin.

_~Erwin, you idiotic blond. What were you thinking, inviting someone like him to stay with us? Looks aside, he's even more like you than you let on.~_

Levi didn't want to get too comfortable with Patrick. There were too many things about himself that he kept hidden from everyone save those closest to him, and he didn't want to slip and part with any damaging secrets just because Patrick's personality reminded him so strongly of Erwin's.

"How did you and Erwin meet?" pressed the alpha. "Erwin told me you were once a dancer, that he had to really work to gain your affections, but he never got into the details."

Levi glanced sidelong at him, silently chewing.

"You suggested I ask you some questions," reminded Patrick. "Or would you rather I keep staring at you and trying to figure everything out through your body language?"

Levi swallowed his food. "Tch. I guess I asked for it, then. All right, but remember, you wanted to know. Erwin and I met in a dance club. He was really pushy and I didn't like him much in the beginning. He was my best customer though, so I put up with it."

"Customer?" repeated Patrick with obvious interest. "So you worked in this club, or did he find out where you worked later and come frequent it?"

Levi met the other male's gaze squarely. "I was a dancer at the club we met at. I didn't know it at the time, but one of my repeat customers for private dances was Erwin."

Patrick seemed a bit mystified. "What sort of club was this? Er, I don't want to make assumptions, but it sounds like—"

"A strip club," provided Levi candidly, nodding. "It's exactly what it sounds like. I was a stripper. The club's known for providing omega dancers for entertainment, both males and females. That's why it's so successful."

Patrick's brows rose. "I see. Male omegas are so rare, it's a wonder the club managed to find any of them to be dancers."

Levi shrugged. "My uncle used to own it, 'till Erwin bought it out. We got lucky with our dancers."

He didn't elaborate further on that point. He sure as shit wasn't about to tell this man about how he and Kenny managed to acquire their dancers. In fact, Erwin had already told Levi that as far as Patrick knew, he was just a lawyer. The man didn't know anything about the syndicate and Levi wasn't going to give away that little slice of truth. It was up to his mate to decide how much to disclose about his business affairs with his old friend.

"You don't seem all that surprised to hear I was one of those strippers," Levi pointed out, cocking his head a little.

Patrick's gaze roamed over him, and then he averted his gaze as if realizing he was allowing it to linger too much. "I wouldn't have guessed just by talking to you and watching you with your family, but now that you've said it, I can definitely believe it. You...have the right look for it. You're in great shape and you have that enigmatic stare. I hope you don't mind me making the observation that you're quite exotic, Levi. I can imagine you raking in a lot of cash in that line of work. Please don't kick me for saying so. Erwin told me about your fighting skills and I'd rather not be in the receiving end."

It was on the tip of Levi's tongue to tell him that for a guy that didn't want a demonstration of those skills, he was really pushing it. He found Patrick's honesty refreshing, though. The man's words also stirred up a bit of nostalgia in his heart, and Levi started to frown without realizing it.

"I'm sorry," offered Patrick softly. "I've annoyed you with all of my talk, haven't I?"

Levi gave a little start, sighed and shook his head. "That isn't it. My mind was elsewhere."

"You look unhappy," Patrick dared to observe. "Is something else wrong? I have two good ears if there's anything you want to get off your chest."

Levi bit his lip. He did want to vent to someone, but he still barely knew this man and he doubted it would be wise to complain to Erwin's best friend about recent developments in the relationship. Still, as he gazed at the attractive alpha sitting beside him, Levi found himself opening up against his better judgment.

"We're going through a dry spell. Erwin and me, that is. I know he's got a lot to juggle and I try not to let it bother me, but it does all the same. It's not like I haven't gone without before. Sometimes Erwin's work responsibilities take him out of town for days. It's just...I dunno..."

"Go on," encouraged Patrick gently. "It won't go further from this room, I promise."

Levi sighed, and he combed his fingers through his hair. "It bugs me. The man and his dick are both available to me, but I'm not getting any. It's one thing when circumstances keep us apart, but I've never gone without for so long when he was home. Sometimes I think we're losing our fire."

"Oh. Well, that's no good." Patrick mulled it over for a second. "I've seen the way Erwin looks at you, like you're all he can see. I don't think there's a lack of fire in your relationship, if that helps at all."

"Then why the hell won't he do me?" snapped Levi in frustration. "Is it some game to him? He says he wants to take me on a romantic getaway. Think maybe he's just trying to save it up and drive me crazy waiting in the meantime?"

Patrick chuckled. "Maybe, but I can't picture Erwin depriving himself that way. It sounds to me like there's something else going on beneath the surface. How long has it been, if you don't mind my asking?"

Levi shrugged. Though he'd tallied it up to the last second it had been since they last had sex, he chose not to sound like too much of a loser by counting minutes. "About a week."

Patrick coughed into his mug, choking a little on the swallow of coffee he'd just taken. "Only a week? That's a dry spell to you?"

Levi gave him a hard stare. "I'm an omega."

"Right." Patrick flushed slightly, clearing his throat. "Erwin's a lucky man. I've never been with an omega male, so I have no personal experience. It seems the stories I've heard are true, from what you're telling me."

Levi flushed as well, looking away. Suddenly he felt very foolish. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, don't think like that," encouraged Patrick. "Obviously this is bothering you, and I'd like to help if I can."

"Then what would you suggest, since we're on the subject? Do you alphas just run out of steam sometimes? I thought you guys were supposed to be able to keep up with us omegas. How long do normal people go without getting laid before they consider it a dry spell, anyway?"

Patrick frowned at his coffee a little. "Well, there were times when I would go for nearly a month without sex, when my wife and I were together. That seems to be the going rate for the average married couple, so I never let it bother me much. What did you do to stave off...uh...restlessness before you got with Erwin, if I can be so bold as to ask?"

"Myself," stated Levi bluntly, "usually with the help of toys. I feel like I shouldn't have to do that now, though...not when he's home and should be able to take care of me himself."

Patrick chuckled. "I can't blame you for feeling that way. I have a theory, though, if you want to hear it."

"I'll listen to whatever ideas you've got," provided Levi. "As long as they might help me put an end to all of this waiting."

"Well, this might sound strange, but I think maybe Erwin has mired himself."

Levi tilted his head. "Meaning?"

Patrick finished off his breakfast and wiped his mouth with his napkin before explaining further. "Meaning he waited too long, and now he's feeling the pressure. It might have started because he was too busy to focus on his own love life, but consider what we know about Erwin. The man's a perfectionist. He's never done anything half-assed."

Levi smirked. "That's true."

Patrick shrugged. "Well there you go. Now he feels like he's got to make up for neglecting you, and if I still know Erwin at all, you can bet he's worked himself into a corner over this. I don't think it's because of a lack of want on his part, Levi. I think he's worked up this idea in his head that his next encounter with you has to be flawless, and he's putting the thumbscrews on himself trying to find the exact perfect moment to make his move."

Levi's expression softened, his lips parting with wonderment. "Shit. I think you're right. So what the hell am I supposed to do? Should I just take the initiative to take the pressure off him or what?"

"You could try that. Somehow I don't see you as the type that would normally be passive anyhow."

Levi checked a sigh. No, he wasn't the type that would usually leave it all to his partner to make the moves. If he wanted sex, he typically let Erwin know in no uncertain terms. He himself was suffering a lack of confidence now, though. Not long ago, he would have just shoved his mate down on the bed and rode him like a bull if Erwin didn't pick up on his sexual vibes. Now he was in the same pickle as his alpha. He wanted it, but he didn't know how to initiate it.

"There's another option available," suggested Patrick while Levi mused over the problem.

The omega eyed his companion sidelong, intrigued but wary. "What's that?"

"There's one thing we alphas all have in common, and in more abundance than beta types," Patrick went on. "We're very territorial creatures. Jealous to a fault. As much action as Erwin used to get when we were in university together—"

"Don't remind me of that," groused Levi, hating the thought of his spouse sleeping with other people even if it was before they even met.

"Ahem...sorry. My point is that while Erwin practically had his own harem, he really lacked tolerance for any of his conquests being with other men. I always told him he was a hypocrite in that way, but the truth is that no matter how refined and reasonable Erwin tries to be, he's never coped well with the thought of other men going where he'd been. Even after breaking up with someone, he would always get upset when he found out any of his exes had new love interests. Maybe you could build off that to nudge him into action."

Levi quirked a brow. "So you're suggesting I cheat on him?"

"Oh no," corrected Patrick quickly, shaking his head. "Hell no, I'd never suggest something like that. You could stir up that jealousy he tries so hard to hide, though. Remind him that you've got other options and he's missing out by not exercising his rights as your alpha."

"That's pretty devious," murmured Levi. A part of him shrank away from the notion, and yet it made perfect sense. He didn't have to betray his partner to get his attention. He could just give him a good nudge as Patrick suggested, and maybe that would give Erwin the incentive he needed to make a move. The real question in Levi's mind was how he could do that without causing any real harm to his spouse or their relationship.

"You don't ever dance for anyone these days, do you?"

Levi glanced at Patrick again, shaking his head. "Only for Erwin. He'd probably have a meltdown if I...oh. I think I see where you're going with this."

Patrick grinned.

* * *

Erwin returned home that night, tired from another long day and eager to have a hot bath and get to bed early. He wasn't expecting to find Levi dressed up as a police officer when he walked through the door, and he eyed his mate up and down as he walked through the front door, confused. He couldn't imagine why the omega had put on that getup, unless there was some game happening between Levi and the kids that he hadn't been informed of.

"Are we having a costume night?"

"No. The kids are with Eren and the others over at Hange's place," Levi informed him. "They'll be staying overnight."

"Okay..." Erwin was still highly confused. "Why are you dressed in the policeman uniform, then?"

Levi shrugged nonchalantly. "Your friend asked about what I used to do for a living before you and I started a family. I've decided to give him a demonstration, but I wasn't going to start until you got home."

Erwin was rendered momentarily speechless. He truly had nothing. When his mate turned and started walking out of the foyer toward the living room, Erwin was prompted into action. He grabbed Levi's arm to stall him, wide-eyed with the realization that Levi wasn't kidding in the least and fully intended to do this.

"Wait, Levi. Are you seriously telling me that you're about to perform a strip tease for Patrick?"

"Sure, why not?" Levi didn't seem concerned about it. "He won't be seeing anything plenty of other people haven't already seen. Patrick expressed some doubts about my sincerity when I told him I used to be a dancer, so I'm going to prove it."

"B-but it's...very inappropriate," sputtered Erwin, trying his best to approach this from a standpoint of reason, not jealousy.

"How so? It's not like I'm doing it in front of the kids, and I waited for you to come home before getting started. What do you think is gonna happen?"

"Do you really think any alpha alive would allow his omega to strip for another man?" challenged Erwin.

"I used to do it all the time," reminded Levi, "for several other men. Women too. Why is it such a big deal to you?"

"Because you aren't a stripper any longer. You're a father and a husband, and it's not appropriate."

"You keep using that word." Levi gave him a bare smirk. "It's not going to change my mind. I wasn't going to let him touch me or anything. Now stop being such a prude and come watch me strip for your buddy."

"Levi...hey, come back here!" Erwin followed behind his swift-moving omega, flustered and a little horrified. Patrick was sitting on the couch in the living room, sipping on a beer. He raised his bottle to Erwin as he and Levi entered the room.

"I have to say, your spouse really knows how to be hospitable to his guests," remarked Patrick. "Come sit down with me, Erwin. Levi's promised it's going to be a hell of a show."

Erwin looked back and forth between his friend and his spouse, helplessly trapped by the situation. If he put his foot down and acted like a brute to bring an end to this situation, it would make him look insecure and possibly give the impression that he didn't trust Levi. If he went along with it and allowed it, he feared Patrick's interest in Levi would quickly evolve into something more serious than a few admiring glances.

Erwin sighed. There was just no way he could see to get out of this. He sat down beside Patrick while Levi operated the entertainment system to put on some dance music. With his back to the pair of alphas, Levi synched up his cell phone with the bluetooth system to select a song from his personal playlist. One of the tunes he used to dance to on the stage came on over the speakers a moment later, filling the room with music that was a hybrid of goth and electronica.

With his back still facing his audience, Levi spread his legs a bit and began to sway, his hips gyrating sensually and suggestively. His firm little ass flexed under the cotton trousers with his motions, and he looked back over his shoulder to peer at the two alphas from beneath the brim of his officer hat. Those hooded gray eyes were full of silent promise and invitation, and Erwin tensed when they fixated not on him, but on Patrick. The blond's jaw clenched, and he had to struggle not to curl his hands into fists.

"How long were you dancing like this, Levi?" asked Patrick, his gaze caressing the omega's form with appreciation.

"Oh, a little over five years I guess. Too bad we don't have a pole set up in here or I'd show you some of those moves, too."

"Erwin, you should buy him a dance pole for his birthday," suggested Patrick.

"And where would we put it?" scoffed the blond. "What kind of message would that give to our kids to have a stripper pole in our house? Imagine the conversations they'd have at school whenever anyone asked them what their parents like to do with their spare time."

"I hate to tell you," Levi said, "but Lance might already have had conversations about this stuff at school. He did see me dancing for you that one night."

"Your son walked in on it?" Patrick chuckled. "That must have been awkward."

"It was," agreed Erwin, "but I think we managed to explain well enough to him that it was something his father likes to do just for me. If we have a stripper pole out in the open, it's going to raise more questions I'm not prepared to answer yet."

"They've got the portable kind," suggested Patrick. "They're collapsible and easily stored. Some strippers carry them around to do private parties in people's houses. You could get one of those."

"Petra has one of those so she can practice and help other dancers improve at home. You know Erwin, I think you _should_ get me one of those," Levi stated. "We can store it in our closet when it's not in use, and it's really good exercise. I could teach you how to—"

"No, I'm not going to learn to pole dance," Erwin firmly interrupted. "But if you really want a collapsible pole of your own, I suppose we could look into that. Just so long as it's kept out of sight from the kids and guests."

"I'd be discreet with it," vowed Levi. He took hold of the brim of his hat, pulled it off of his head and tossed it at Patrick gracefully. It spun through the air and hit his shoulder before landing next to him on the couch.

_~The way you're being so discreet about how you've chosen to show my friend what you used to do for a living?~_

Erwin kept the thought to himself. It would just come off as passive aggressive and he was sure it would result in an argument later. One thing he'd learned over the course of time he'd been with Levi was to never insult his honor, never question his loyalty and never to go to bed angry. He always strove to work out any differences they were having before turning in for the night, and to sweeten the amends, he always made love to Levi after an argument. So far it seemed to do the trick, but it was always better to avoid a confrontation to begin with, if at all possible.

As he watched Levi dance and start to remove his clothes one piece at a time, it dawned on Erwin that his spouse seemed to be deliberately directing most of his attention at Patrick. His Levi was dancing _for_ Patrick, and not for him. It made Erwin's blood boil and caused a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. It had been years since that sweet little body was put on display for anyone besides Erwin, not counting the times Levi wore swimming trunks or briefs in public. Erwin was so used to being the only recipient of Levi's seductive dances that he'd forgotten what it was like to see the man do it for anyone else.

_~It's just an act. He isn't cheating on me. He's just entertaining a guest. I don't need to get this upset over it, and it's only one song. I just have to put up with it for a few minutes and keep my cool.~_

He could try and reason away his feelings all he wanted, but it was easier in theory than in practice to be objective about this. The more flesh Levi revealed to their eyes, the more Erwin wanted to vault off of the couch, tear his blazer off and cover his mate up with it. Patrick was tapping his foot to the beat, his attention glued on the exquisiteness of the omega performing for him. Erwin covertly checked his friend's crotch, and sure enough, he noticed signs of arousal.

_~How can I blame him, though? What man could watch Levi doing this without getting excited? I would have to question Patrick's sanity if he didn't.~_

The thought didn't help, though. When Levi undid his pants and started to teasingly pull the material down over his pale hips, Erwin crossed one leg over the other and shifted uncomfortably. He did his very best to remain casual—at least on the outside. The compulsion to squirm was powerful, though. His eyes widened with the realization that Levi wasn't even wearing so much as a thong underneath his pants. The tip of his cock peeked out from the parted material, pink and rather adorable to look at. Levi wasn't hard, thank goodness. Not yet, anyway. That was of some comfort. The omega typically got aroused whenever he danced for Erwin. Seeing that he was still soft made the blond feel oddly relieved. It meant Levi wasn't actually fantasizing about doing anything with Patrick.

Only seconds after he made the observation, Erwin's relief quickly sizzled out. Levi was starting to grow before his eyes, and the omega danced his way closer to the couch. Erwin tensed as his spouse smoothly settled into a half-squatting position, his thighs parted and his pelvis gyrating. Levi straightened back up, turned around and pulled his pants down, putting his smooth, tight ass only a few feet away from Patrick's staring face. He saw Patrick's hands twitch, and Erwin could easily empathize with the temptation the man must be feeling to reach out and grope Levi.

"Erwin, you are the luckiest guy I know," announced Patrick sincerely.

"Yes...lucky," repeated Erwin in a monotone voice. Damn, did Levi have to be _that_ suggestive?

The object of Erwin's frustration and desire turned around again, and he put one knee on the couch between Patrick's legs. He rotated his hips with a smirk, his cock bobbing and swaying with his actions. It was definitely growing and swelling now. Erwin's gaze traveled back up to his mate's face, and for the first time he realized that Levi was staring not at Patrick, but at _him._ Those half-lidded eyes were fixated on Erwin now, and the pouty lips were relaxed and parted.

Everything in that silent stare said to Erwin that even though Levi was doing this performance for Patrick, all of that smooth skin, muscle and sinew belonged to Erwin. The omega's eyes promised him that without a word needing to be said, and Erwin now knew that Levi's body was reacting not to the act of stripping for Patrick, but to doing it in front of Erwin. Levi was getting turned on because his mate was watching him with a burning, possessive gaze. It amazed the blond a little. It never occurred to him that Levi would get hot and bothered by taking his clothes off for someone else while he was watching.

_~You can still surprise me, you complicated, beautiful creature.~_

Levi then took it a step further, and Erwin could no longer remain composed. When his mate started to climb onto Patrick to straddle him, that was the last straw. Erwin jumped up quickly, put an arm around Levi's waist and urged him away from the other alpha.

"All right, I think that's enough. The song is ending and I'm sure Patrick enjoyed the dance."

"If you say so." Levi's tone was dryly amused, and he quirked a brow when Erwin acted on his earlier impulses and stripped his blazer off to wrap it around Levi and cover some of his nudity.

Erwin didn't bother trying to excuse his actions. He gave his friend a nod, excused himself and guided Levi out of the living room and to the staircase.

"I thought I was supposed to get a grand finale," protested Patrick.

Erwin didn't attempt to apologize for interrupting the performance. "The grand finale is reserved for his mate. Excuse us, Patrick."

* * *

Levi's ploy worked a little better than he'd expected. The feelings he was picking up on from his mate were so powerful that for a moment, he half-feared Erwin was going to start an argument with him. Instead, the man shoved him up against the door as soon as it was closed behind them, tore off the blazer he'd covered Lei up with and started kissing him like he wanted to devour him whole. That emotion Levi was sensing from him was jealousy. Patrick had pegged Erwin just right, and now the man was definitely making up for all the sex they'd been missing out on.

They somehow made it onto the bed, and Erwin urged Levi down to his crotch as soon as they got his pants undone.

"Suck on it," he ordered huskily, his tone commanding.

Erwin was the only man in the world that could not only get away with issuing a demand like that to Levi without getting his ass kicked. He was also the only man in the world that could get Levi so worked up by bossing him around.

"Someone's impatient," purred the omega, and he eased his partner's shaft out of his pants and underwear. He gave the length of it an admiring look, impressed as always by the size and girth of it. Levi kept somehow forgetting how big Erwin was when he was full mast. It amazed him every time, even after being with the alpha for so long. Levi gripped the base of it and closed in on it. He parted his lips just a little, and he slid them down over the knobby tip of Erwin's erection.

"Yes, that's good," approved Erwin breathily. He stroked Levi's hair, and then his hand slid down between the omega's shoulders, lower to his mid-back, and then to the base of his spine just above his tailbone. He leaned forward a bit, breathing heavily as Levi slurped and sucked on his cock. Both large hands settled on Levi's ass, squeezing it briefly before skimming inwards to the crevasse between the cheeks.

Levi arched his back and stuck his ass up a little, encouraging Erwin's touch. He moaned around the girth of Erwin's length when he felt a finger slip gently inside of him. He'd missed this so much. It felt so good, though Erwin had only just begun. Levi's breath hitched when Erwin skillfully located his sweet spot and began rubbing it with firm, circular motions. A tremor went through Levi, and his concentration was impaired by the jolts of sensation Erwin was causing.

"Do you know," gasped Erwin, "how hard it was for me to sit there and watch that performance? How much of a challenge it was for me to resist dragging you off with me the moment you started dancing for him."

Erwin's breath caught when Levi swirled his tongue around the slit in the tip of his cock, briefly silencing him. The alpha resumed speaking again after composing himself again. "You...did it to make me jealous, didn't you?"

Levi paused to look up at him. He didn't answer, but he smirked a little around the swollen flesh he was servicing. He continued sucking his partner off, not bothering to either confirm or deny the allegation.

"It worked," Erwin went on, his voice trembling. "I could hardly stand it. All of my plans to romance you went out the window, and all I could think of was how much I wanted to fuck you hard enough to make you scream. I want him to hear every cry I draw from you, Levi. Every moan...every gasp...fuck, I'm going to come. Stop, lover. That's enough."

Levi was half tempted to keep going despite Erwin's warning, but Erwin inserted another finger into him, and he was hopelessly distracted. He mumbled the alpha's name, and it came out distorted due to the thick girth halfway down his throat. He released Erwin from his mouth, tasting the salty, slightly bitter tinge of precum on his tongue. He tried to hold back another moan, and he scooted up on Erwin's body to kiss him. Levi thrust his tongue into the bigger man's mouth, all too aware of the prick of his fangs elongating in his mouth. He never could seem to control their extension when he got horny; the damned things grew just like his dick.

Levi tried to pull away when he felt Erwin's tongue pushing back against his, trying to get into his mouth. The blond cupped the back of his head with his free hand to keep him from escaping, and then he invaded his mouth insistently. Erwin winced slightly when his tongue scraped against one of Levi's fangs, but he didn't stop kissing the omega.

The taste of Erwin's rich blood was on Levi's tongue now, and he impulsively sucked on the alpha's thrusting tongue to draw more of it. Erwin's fingers pumped faster, gliding easily inside of the omega with the slick Levi was producing. Erwin wasn't being gentle about it. He wasn't working his way up the intensity scale like he normally did, he was just going for the gold.

Erwin meant to break him, Levi realized. He'd pushed him a little too far with his performance. He knew he was right about that when Erwin reached out to the bedside table on his side of the bed and opened the drawer. He dug something out of it that made Levi groan. A cock ring. The one Erwin had custom fitted for Levi specifically. They didn't use it very often, but once in a while Erwin got a wild hair up his ass to exercise more control over their encounters. Levi being the glutton for punishment that he was, usually went along with it.

"Tell me that's for you," muttered Levi against his companion's animated mouth.

"Of course not," came the ragged answer. "It would never fit me. Straddle me, Levi."

Levi hesitated. The last time Erwin used orgasm deprivation with him, it had nearly sent Levi into a heat. He didn't want to deal with a cycle right now, while they had a guest staying in the house and Erwin's schedule was still so busy.

"Please humor me," urged Erwin.

Levi sighed. "If this puts me in heat, you've got to clear your schedule to deal with it no matter what, understand?"

"I doubt that will happen." Erwin stroked his prostate again, provoking a shudder and a soft moan from the omega. "You just recently had one. In any case if it does, I'll set up Patrick in a nice hotel for a couple of days while we take care of it."

Levi nodded, pacified by the suggestion. He didn't mind Mikasa being in the house when he was in heat despite her being an alpha, because their blood ties apparently granted her immunity from the effects of his omega pheromones. Patrick was a different matter, though. Even if he was sequestered to his room with the door locked, Levi wouldn't feel comfortable being in heat with the man in his home.

"All right. Since I got you so frazzled, I'll give you this one."

He got into a straddling position in Erwin's lap, while the blond shifted so that he was leaning back against the headboard with his legs stretched out before him. Levi held still, kneading his alpha's strong shoulders while Erwin stopped fingering him to apply the cock ring. He used some personal lubricant along with Levi's own slick to lube the object up and make it slide on more easily, and soon it was snugly secured around the base of Levi's erection. He bit his lip as Erwin gave his length a few slow strokes, and he rested his forehead against the bigger man's.

"Comfortable enough?" prompted Erwin after a few moments, his breathing rhythm uneven and rough with excitement.

Levi nodded, though in truth he could never really say the cock ring was comfortable. It didn't hurt though, and he appreciated the blond being considerate enough even in his state of lust to still care about Levi's comfort level.

"Always a gentleman," Levi observed, pulling away to smirk at his companion.

"I'll always try to be, when it comes to you." Erwin kissed his throat, and he reached down and behind to start fingering Levi again. His other hand focused on the omega's chest region, teasing his nipples one at a time. "Even when you drive me half insane with need, I'm going to strive not to be a barbarian with you."

"I know you will," breathed Levi, and that was the truth. He'd have never trusted anyone else to do the things he let Erwin do to him. Their mouths met in another deep, passionate kiss and further conversation was put on the back burner.

* * *

-To be continued


End file.
